Grade 7 and 8 students at Holy Family Catholic School in Wallaceburg are participating in an innovative esports program through the North American Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF). NASEF’s mission is to provide opportunities for all students to use esports as a platform to acquire critical communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in work and in life.

Through the esports program, students are participating in competitive esports matches and tournaments in Rocket League®, Minecraft and Chess with other elementary schools across North America. The program helps students to develop social-emotional skills and resiliency, digital citizenship and technological competence.
Holy Family Catholic School has also developed a partnership with esports programs at Ursuline College, Lambton College and St. Clair College. Students are collaborating virtually with esports athletes from all three schools. In addition, the school is working in partnership with Esports Canada to explore the possibility of creating an Ontario Esports League.

“I want to thank our Grade 7/8 teacher Dan Rolo for his great work with this program,” says Mark Bernard, Principal of Holy Family Catholic School. “Dan is one of 30 representatives from 15 countries to be selected as a NASEF Scholastic Fellow – the organization’s only representative in all of Ontario and one of only two in Canada We are thankful for his passion and expertise in this area.”