Transforming student pathways: Talking esports and STEM with PlayVS and Stiegler EdTech leaders

What is the link between esports and education? In a recent announcement, PlayVS and Stiegler EdTech (SET) revealed a transformative partnership that champions esports as a bridge towards digital upskilling plus science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

According to PlayVS CEO Jon Chapman, esports can enhance student engagement, attendance, and mental wellness. Meanwhile, SET chairman Tariq Bokhari noted how the competitive varsity approach to STEM learning can assist with upward mobility. Esports.gg sat down with both Chapman and Bokhari for an interview about this and what's in store for the future of scholastic esports!

Even before becoming the CEO of PlayVS, Chapman has always been interested in the emerging field of esports — especially in the amateur space. When he joined PlayVS, one of his goals pertained to scaling the business and creating opportunities for kids to compete in esports no matter what level they're at. This would involve both amateur and professional levels of gameplay. In the interview with esports.gg, Chapman revealed that he wants to replicate the growth of traditional sports to achieve this goal.

As for SET chairman Bokhari, he sees esports as an activity that engages youth and as a pipeline that encourages interests in STEM education. During the interview, he emphasized the impact of esports as an upskilling tool — especially for underserved communities. Bokhari also shared a touching story with esports.gg.

"I grew up in pretty extreme poverty," Bokhari said. "And my father left when I was three. So we had this challenging environment as it was. And then I grew up in a rural town where our school had great teachers, but we were the last to get the new, cool, technology-based thing, which in the 80s and 90s, was bubbling up and not everyone had access to it."

He continued, recalling how his grandparents cobbled together some funds and bought him a Nintendo so that he could play Super Mario Bros. This made him less interested in school at the time. Despite this, Bokhari later found solace in technology during his college years. This motivated him to blend the immersive world of video games with tangible and beneficial pathways.

Bokhari added how esports, combined with STEM education, can encourage a future with more engineers and game developers no matter their demographic. Therefore, SET's partnership with PlayVS makes a lot of sense.

What about the parents who are on the fence about implementing esports into their children's school activities? According to Chapman, who is also a parent, esports currently serves as the inaugural extracurricular activity for about 45% of students. He added that the view on competitive gaming has changed compared to the past as well. Chapman then drew parallels between a successful initiative with Electronic Arts (EA) and what PlayVS is hoping to accomplish with SET.

"When I was at EverFi, we actually worked with Electronic Arts," Chapman said. "We built out an entire school — a program with them — similar to what we're building with Stiegler and sort of these virtual worlds where we tried to get the kids [inspired] to become video game developers. And we would connect them with engineers and developers at EA."

He added that by working with underrepresented communities, students began to see gaming as both a hobby and an opportunity to learn game development. This gave them guidance on possible academic pathways.

Bokhari agreed, highlighting the parallels between traditional varsity sports and esports. Both of these can provide valuable life lessons when it comes to teamwork, leadership, and communication. Therefore, skeptical parents can be reassured that this structured and educational nature of esports is useful in preparing students for their futures.

The PlayVS and SET announcement arrived after another partnership announcement featuring SET and UNC Greensboro Scholastic Esports Alliance (UNCG SEA). This expanded SET's Varsity Esports and STEM League (VESL) flagship program in North Carolina. According to a press release, PlayVS and SET will keep onboarding schools in 2024 to champion titles such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Rocket League.

When asked about how PlayVS and SET would scale beyond North Carolina with their partnership, Bokhari emphasized the replication of traditional varsity sports experiences. For esports, this would feature improved team dynamics, professional coaching, statewide championships, and live events.

"And then there's the physical manifestation of events in the schools," Bokhari continued. "We've all started to see in the last year or so — [a] couple of viral videos of a high school gymnasium with kids watching Rocket League and everyone's going bonkers. That's a traditional sports spot. It seems so out of the ordinary for the esports world to see that. And that's because that is the model that we're trying to duplicate."

The integration of a STEM component to esports would matter as well, and Chapman talked at length about this. An example he provided involved working with Epic Games' North Carolina headquarters to create opportunities for kids to learn about potential careers and meet with employees.

"I think we're going to learn lessons [and] continue to use those and leverage them in other parts of the country when people look at North Carolina as a model for sanctioned, concentrated, authentic competition," Chapman said.

And that's just the start. In a surprise reveal, Bokhari told esports.gg that the PlayVS and SET partnership will also feature an 18 wheeler to bring esports to rural spaces, making competitive gaming more accessible than ever.

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more interviews, news, and updates across the esports industry!