Connected Learning Summit 2019

Collegiate Esports is growing at a phenomenal rate and holds potential benefits that educational institutions are drawn to, such as developing leadership, communication, and team building skills in our young adults (Mott, 2018; Seminski, 2018). The current work on inclusion in Esports program development emphasizes sophisticated plans for codes of conduct, task forces, staff recruitment & training processes, and welcome arena events (Amazan-Hall, et. al, 2018; Wu, 2017) to enhance diversity and inclusion. These sound strategies however, can fall short of fully speaking to current internalized pitfalls and aggressions present within the Esports landscape. Players, fans, coaches, managers, and administrators can often exacerbate inclusionary growth unknowingly and against their own best interests. The current symposium will not only address these biases (both visible and hidden), but also provide remedies and prevention techniques, ensuring the promotion of a sustainable, thriving, diverse, and inclusive culture of Collegiate Esports. The two presentations in this symposium will display practical experience from five universities, including ongoing research from three Universities that includes data on inclusive Esports camps and workshops. The presenters include three female Esports captains, three Esports Directors, two researchers, and one former professional Esports player. The focus will be on providing in-depth player and fan data that reports first-hand accounts and experiences, along with data from a National Science Foundation grant supporting STEM competency development for at-risk youth through Esports activities.