It’s Dangerous to Go Alone! Riot Games, DonorsChoose, and Teachers Team Up for Students

When it comes to unlocking new possibilities for your students as a teacher, having the right resources can be a game-changer. That’s why Riot Games teamed up with DonorsChoose last school year to help educators get the esports and game design resources their students need to get to the next level.

Here’s all you need to know about this partnership designed for classrooms just like yours: 

Game Design and Esports In Education Unlocks Opportunities

Students across the country are dreaming of careers in engineering and game development, and Riot Games wants to support the teachers who believe in them.

It goes even further than that, too. Not only can video games in curricula open the door for the next generation of game designers and esport professionals, it also can be an exciting pathway into STEM lessons, cognitive skills, community-building, and more. 

Riot Games knows this versatile potential very well. That’s why, through the Riot Games Social Impact Fund, they’re also especially focused on bridging the digital divide by supporting Equity Focus Schools — ensuring students at historically underfunded schools have the resources to pursue the same opportunities. In case that wasn’t enough? They also showed some hometown love by fully funding middle and high school esports projects in California, where Riot Games is headquartered!

Riot Games Social Impact Fund is Making a Difference

The leaderboard is pretty clear on this one. During the 2023–24 school year, the Riot Games Social Impact Fund: 

• Donated more than $220,000 to DonorsChoose teachers
• Funded nearly 530 esports and game design projects
• Supported 329 teachers
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Best stat of all? Thousands of students at more than 300 schools now have access to game design and esports resources! And as you can imagine, DonorsChoose teachers came up with some pretty cool ideas for using gaming to benefit students. Here are just a few to inspire your own — all from Equity Focus Schools and all amazing!

“I am starting an Esports club to create an environment where children will begin new friendships and families will come together as a community and watch their children participate in Esports tournaments” - Mr. Silver, Connecting Immigrant and Refugee Students in an Esports Club

Ever heard of an esport stem club? Mr. Silver’s students have! His school serves immigrant and refugee children and their families transitioning into the American school system. With the power of Nintendo Switches and a few other key accessories, Mr. Silver is helping build community with his students across the school (and throwing fun esport tournaments as they do)!

“Our students will have the opportunity to delve into the world of game development, turning their drawings into playable video games with just the press of a button.” – Ms. Murphy, “Cardboard Creations and Video Game Inspiration”

Skateparks, tree houses, shadow boxes, you name it — Ms. Murphy’s students love creating things out of just a few basic supplies. That’s why she came up with an equally creative classroom project that allowed her kids’ to practice their passion for invention and problem-solving while learning video game design, too! 

 “Esport is an essential part of our push to help our students foster a sense of pride in our small school. We believe your donation will help encourage school attendance and Increase academic performance for all our scholars.” – Ms. Smith, “Learning Leadership, Communication, and Critical Thinking Skills While Having Fun!”

Ms. Smith’s game lab project is a true testament to the many ways gaming can be used to educate. Ms. Smith’s students not only developed their own esports skills enough to make it to a state playoff — they also learned to be leaders, advocating for a gaming lab that provides all students equal access to gaming equipment, even if they did not have resources at home.

Thanks to the generous support of the Riot Games Social Impact Fund, all the projects above, and so many more, got the extra points (and funds!) they need to become a reality. We can’t shout their partnership out enough!

Ready to level up your own classroom? You can create and submit your own esports or game design project today!