A DIGITAL curriculum leader and student Esports team manager from Coventry has been inviting to speak at a virtual national Esports in Education Summit next month.
Shoubna Naika-Taylor, curriculum lead for Creative and Digital at Coventry College, and team manager for Coventry Crosshairs – the college’s winning student-based Esports team – has been invited to speak about creating a culture for Esports to thrive within education.
Her invitation comes after Coventry Crosshairs caught the eyes of industry officials in their debut season, where they made it to the semi-finals of the British Esports Association’s national Overwatch Tournament, as well as defeating the British Esports Association’s admin team which was made up of professional gamers.
The British Esports Association’s summit is being held virtually on November 10 for senior leaders, curriculum managers, lecturers and team coaches from across the UK to discuss the impact, developments and opportunities available in competitive gaming within colleges.
Shoubna said: “What Coventry Crosshairs has achieved in a short amount of time is fantastic, and as a College we are incredibly proud to see the wider Esports and education industry looking to us as an example of how to integrate Esports into an education setting.
“Esports is a multi billion pound industry that is watched by more than four million in the UK, and is fertile ground for a variety of career opportunities, but for Esports to consolidate itself into mainstream education we need to establish a culture where it is taken as seriously as other subjects.
“Coventry College has ambitions to launch a course dedicated to bringing through the next generation of Esports professionals – including players, coaches and shoutcasters – and being invited to this prestigious summit is a vote in confidence by the wider industry in our vision.
“Creating our own dedicated Esports team that reflects life as a professional Esports gamer – including a coaching set-up, state-of-the-art equipment and regular tactical training sessions – was a step in the right direction for us.
“The summit will enable us to share best practice with the wider industry, while also serving as a useful resource that can inform our plans for launching our own course in the future.”
Gemma Knott, Assistant Principal for Business Growth at Coventry College, added: “In just one year Shoubna and her team have shown what an influential role Coventry College can play in helping to bring through the next generation of professionals in a sector that is fast growing.
“This is a fantastic example of the College working with industry to develop the skills required for the future, and we look forward to harnessing this relationship with the British Esports Association over the coming years.”
For more information about Esports at Coventry College email [email protected] or follow @CityCampusGames on Twitter.
