History was created in Tobago on Wednesday with the launch of the US Embassy’s e-sport initiative at the Goodwood Secondary School, the first in the Caribbean.
The aim of the three-month programme, funded by the US Department of State, is to establish a club in which students can learn about different careers associated with e-sports. It also seeks to encourage girls to pursue careers in tech fields.
The e-sport programme is expected to be launched at the San Fernando West Secondary School in Trinidad within the next few days.
In brief remarks, US Embassy public affairs officer Kirsten Michener said the programme was conceptualised at the onset of the covid19 pandemic in 2019. She said in the absence of in-person contact, the initiative allowed for continued interactions with students.
Michener said apart from teaching students about the different careers associated with e-sports, the programme will help them to develop their gaming skills and also interact virtually with professional e-sport athletes from the US.
“Our expectation is that this club will encourage teamwork and problem-solving and will spark your curiosity,” she told the students.
Goodwood Secondary School principal Sherra Carrington-James said as an administrator and teacher, e-learning offers an effective for pathway for integration and gamification.
“So we are strangely grateful to the pandemic, believe it or not, for catapulting us in this direction,” she said.
[caption id="attachment_946241" align="alignnone" width="1024"] US Embassy public affairs officer Kirsten Michener, fourth from left, presents an e-sport game to principal Sherra Carrington-James and students at the launch of the initiative at the Goodwood Secondary School. - Corey Connelly[/caption]
Carrington-James said one of the school’s developmental objectives is to become an "e-mature" school.
“We have sought avenues to leverage the obvious technological imperatives in educational advancement, teaching and learning. And this is the time for it. If this is not the time, then there will be no other.
“The literature speaks to potentially positive effects of gaming on the students’ behaviour. It means that there are avenues for us to develop and grow through gamification (and) competitive attitude development and all of this can be created at the school in a very safe environment.”
She said the e-sport initiative is one of the school’s “signature good points” as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
“We look forward to further transformation of our traditional classroom environment by the infusion of creativity and collaborative play that is inherent in gamification.”
Carrington-James told the students, “Intrinsic and inherent in this process is the development that you get, the absorption of how to get the points and the bragging rights. You have to learn the content. So, there is a dual purpose to gamification.
She encouraged them to embrace the opportunity and share the knowledge.
“Information is of no use to you if you leave with it. Come back and you
