Enriching Education: Engineering for Kids, eSports, and STEM

 With the school year winding down and the country gradually reopening, parents are looking for fun and engaging activities for their children this summer.  One national franchise is jumping on the popular trend of esports gaming to teach kids valuable STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills and have fun along the way.

Engineering For Kids is introducing new esports programs this summer to teach children ages 7-14 math and science skills through robotics, technology and coding activities.  The popularity of esports has taken off in recent years with an estimated 454 million viewers in 2019, and that number is expected to increase at least 9 percent by 2023.

Engineering For Kids is offering equally popular Minecraft camps with five different themes that students can attend this summer.  Children will play Minecraft while applying the Engineering For Kids design process to create a model of their very own, futuristic, sustainable city.

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

• How can eSports be used to teach kids STEM skills? 
  Esports provides an opportunity to teach kids many of the soft skills that are undeniably critical for future success in STEM. At the Engineering For Kids Esports Camp, students will have many opportunities to develop the “4 C’s 21^st Century Skills” which are communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Research has shown that these 4 C’s are the necessary skills students need for future success in STEM, other areas of academics, and the workplace.

 

Team sports provides an opportunity for kids to learn about healthy competition, sportsmanship, and what it means to be part of a team. However, many kids today have diverse interests and are just not into athletics. Esports provides another avenue for kids to have the experience of being part of a team, learning those important skills, and connecting with others with similar interests. Not only do kids learn about the soft skills, but depending on the esports program they’re participating in, they also learn about other science, engineering, and technology concepts like physics, aerodynamics, gravity, and more.

• Why is it so effective to pair up educational skills with kids' interests?
  Video games are extremely popular with kids today and they are not going away. We have an opportunity to embrace them and understand how we as educators can use them as a powerful tool to engage and educate our children in innovative ways. By building on students already existing interests, we’re able to help set them on a path they will be passionate about and turn their passion into a career.
• What should parents look for in a quality camp experience, whether it's face-to-face or virtual?

Engineering For Kids’ Esports and Minecraft camps were designed to alternate between learning and video game play. This creates the perfect balance between learning and summer fun. When looking for a camp, it’s important to consider the instructors who will be teaching the program, if the program is backed by outside credentialing organizations (EFK programs are STEM.org Accredited AND Cognia Certified), and the topics that are being presented.