Esports and gaming-based learning can create powerful opportunities for students—from building stronger connections at school to exploring careers in technology, gaming, AI, and other growing fields.
But for many schools and youth organizations, the hardest part isn't seeing the potential. It's figuring out how to turn that potential into a program that actually works.
At EliteGamingLIVE (EGL), two challenges come up again and again when we talk with partners: funding and implementation.
The good news is that neither challenge has to prevent an organization from getting started.
Schools and youth organizations are constantly balancing priorities. Even when educators are excited about bringing esports or gaming-based learning to their students, they still have to answer a practical question:
How are we going to pay for it?
A successful program may require more than software. Depending on the organization, there can be costs associated with curriculum, equipment, training, implementation, and ongoing program support.
We've seen firsthand how funding challenges can prevent organizations from moving forward, which is why we launched the EGL Access Grant.
The grant can fund up to 80% of an organization's EGL programming fees, and we've dedicated $350,000 to the program for this school year. Grants are awarded on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis.
We created the program for a simple reason: we don't want budget constraints to automatically prevent students from accessing meaningful opportunities.
Funding is only one part of the equation.
The second major challenge is implementation.
For an educator who has never launched an esports program, getting started can feel overwhelming.
What equipment do we need? What games should students play? How should competitions work? Who will manage the program? What training will that person need? How do we incorporate learning? And what happens when something doesn't work as expected?
These are reasonable questions.
The solution shouldn't be to hand an educator a piece of software and expect them to figure everything out.
That's why EGL's goal is to make implementation as easy as possible. We can provide the software, curriculum, training, ongoing support, and equipment organizations need. In some locations, we can even provide personnel to help operate programs virtually or on-site.
When evaluating an esports or gaming-based learning program, schools should look beyond individual products.
Think about the entire program.
A platform may solve one problem, but who handles training? Who helps educators get started? Where does the curriculum come from? What happens when support is needed halfway through the school year?
The right partner should help answer those questions before your program launches.
Starting something new will always require some effort.
But perceived complexity shouldn't prevent a school from exploring what's possible.
Kids already love gaming. The opportunity is to take some of that existing enthusiasm and turn it into structured experiences that can create learning, competition, relationships, skill development, and career exploration.
Schools shouldn't have to figure out every piece of that process alone.
Our biggest advice to educators is simple: find a partner who can help solve both the funding and implementation challenges.
Because launching an esports program shouldn't simply mean adding another responsibility to an educator's plate.
It should mean creating an opportunity students are genuinely excited to be part of.