Education continues beyond the classroom, and in New Hampshire, students have the opportunity to expand their education through hands-on, real-world experience with the Learn Everywhere Program. Uptime is now part of the Learn Everywhere Program and provides high school students a pathway to pursue their passion for esports while also earning class credit.
We have an esports curriculum developed to improve gaming skills but also teach students the key tenants of STEM related topics. Students will have the opportunity to participate from our Bedford and Exeter locations or online from home. Our curriculum has been designed by our S.T.E.M. & N.A.E.C.A.D. certified professional coaches, in collaboration with our university partner, The New England Institute of Technology and Shenandoah University.
The program is called Uptime United and runs for 10-weeks, with seasons in the fall, winter and spring where students compete on teams led by a coach in esports and learn other topics like:
- Computers and the major parts, functions and how to build a PC
- Social media and how to utilize it for communication, collaboration and branding
- Cryptocurrency and how it often correlates with gaming PCs used for mining
Players are also taught to develop healthy habits centered around nutrition and fitness, leadership, teamwork and critical thinking. All skills that help players succeed outside the realm of just esports.
CORE COMPETENCIES OF THE PROGRAM
Upon completion, students will receive an Esports Certificate which translates to a high school class credit.
Computer Literacy
Understanding of all the major components (CPU, GPU, HD, Motherboard, Cooling, Memory, Power Supply, Peripherals) of a computer system (PC) and what functions they perform.
Social Media Platforms
How to utilize the major social media platforms for esports promotion including Twitch, Discord, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and more.
Branding and Marketing
Understanding of your own personal brand and marketing with social media by establishing an identity and describing how to use various social media platform tools for marketing and streaming.
Esports Management
Careers in esports like event organization, IT support, esports education, marketing, performance optimization, game design/development as well as the college degree programs and scholarships available for esports.
Video Game Design
Introduction to Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Editor to learn the basics of project creation and navigation as it relates to game design.
Nutrition
Students will design a nutritional plan for themselves based on their gaming and screen time habits.
Cryptocurrency
Understanding of cryptocurrencies, the types of cryptocurrencies and their functions including benefits and drawbacks.
Cryptocurrency Mining
How to install and configure mining software on a gaming PC to mine for cryptocurrency, the role mining pools play and what happens when coins go proof-of-stake.
Each week, students will have an education session and esports team practice leading up to Saturday where they will have completed their assignments for the week and play in a competitive esports match. Students will have access to our online content management system that allows them to complete all of their assigned education and esports activities in a structured manner over the course of the program.