Ninety-six percent of US teens play video games, providing schools with an opportunity to channel their students’ interests into career and college readiness. Starting an academic esports program at your school allows you to meet your students where they are, offering an engaging and relevant approach to education. The US Academic Esports League (USAEL) offers turnkey esports curriculum and programming for Grades 3-12. In this session, you’ll learn how to harness the academic power of gaming to spark students’ passion for computer science and technology. You’ll get an overview of the Grades 3-5 and 6-12 USAEL curriculum as well as the included professional development. And, you’ll get a primer on starting your own academic esports program at your school.