Preparing students for college and careers is every educator’s goal which is why teaching 21st century skills has become a noteworthy task. Ideas of what it means to be up to speed in technology has always crafted educational plans, but what exactly are 21st century skills? In the early 2000s, it meant that kids would need to be proficient in emailing and computer basics. Then coding and web design perked up. And while many educators still implement these concepts into their work, the tech field has advanced and morphed in many different ways making it impossible to develop any standard foresight of which skills kids will need for college and careers five years from now. Today the internet is booming with young entrepreneurs in every field from advertising to e-sports making the way we conduct business very different than the past. Cameras and videos are no longer for recording sentimental family moments. Paired with the internet these tools have become doorways into business for many families-and their children.
Video games are no longer just a fun pastime for kids after school. Today colleges like UC Irvine are offering scholarships for gamers and host entire departments for e-sport communities. As educational institutions embrace this industry, children with access to this world are advancing faster than anyone else. Victor Palacios, founder of Game Crossings LLC, saw this as an opportunity to do something positive for his neighborhood and gathered a group of young gamers to play and organize tournaments- keeping them off the streets and focused on something that they could turn into a business while also preparing them for college opportunities.
Game Crossings LLC is an organization designed to teach children ages ten and up how to build their own PCs, organize tournaments, and live-stream their play. As the team developed, their streaming caught attention online and their skills demonstrated proficiency as they started taking big wins at tournaments. Victor has bridged his latest course with UC Irvine and CSU Fullerton to ensure that his team has the foundations needed to manage their online personalities for long term business plans. His course also focuses on values about financing, leadership, team work and production of the e-sport business allowing students to start their careers in their teens. Now that many of his original team are graduating from high school, Game Crossings is expanding and teaching a whole new group to start their journey in the e-sports world -essentially helping 10-14 year olds get into the business earlier than before.
Like all things, not all of these young gamers will become a famous pro-player. Still, the transformation of the tech world will surely provide an avenue for them to follow that they possess these 21st century skills. With the ability to create their own schedules and freedom to travel to tournaments during established school hours, this may be the time to set your homeschool gamer up for their big break!
Do you have any insight to the tech world? Questions about how to join these teams? Want to get involved? Comment below and join the world of e-sports!
Laurie Gracia-Alikhan- Editor The Homeschooler Post
