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A Program
Filled With
Teachable Moments
Connect At-Risk
Students
Connecting at-risk students through gaming with friends offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful ways, fostering collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. By integrating gaming into educational settings, we create supportive environments where students can build confidence, develop essential skills, and form positive connections with peers and mentors, leading to improved academic and social outcomes.
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Empower Educators
as Mentors
A mentor can significantly influence young people by playing games with them in schools, creating a positive and engaging environment that encourages learning and growth. Through shared gaming experiences, mentors can build trust, teach valuable life skills, promote teamwork, and provide guidance, all while making learning enjoyable and accessible. This connection helps students develop confidence, resilience, and a sense of community, ultimately fostering their academic and personal success.
Promote College and
Career Readiness
Playing games in school can lead to the development of lifelong social-emotional skills by providing students with opportunities to practice teamwork, communication, empathy, and problem-solving in a fun and engaging context. Through gaming, students learn to navigate social dynamics, manage emotions, and build resilience, which are essential skills for personal and professional success throughout their lives.
Level Up With
STEAM Projects
Gaming clubs and gaming culture provide a dynamic platform for students to explore STEAM concepts in a hands-on, immersive environment, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while promoting a passion for learning and innovation. Whether you build a PC or create a club Discord, the sky is the limit when it comes to STEAM activities.
Activate Your
School's Culture
Gaming clubs can positively impact school culture, attendance, and behavior by creating an inclusive and engaging environment where students feel connected and motivated. These clubs foster a sense of community, improve student attendance by making school more enjoyable, and encourage positive behaviors through teamwork, cooperation, and shared goals. Ultimately, gaming clubs can transform the school experience, making it more vibrant and supportive for all students.
Practicing Social
Philanthropy
A mentor can promote community-based social philanthropy through a gaming club by encouraging students to channel their passion for gaming into positive community initiatives. By organizing charity events, fundraising tournaments, and collaborative projects, mentors can inspire students to use their gaming skills for the greater good, fostering a sense of social responsibility and community engagement.
After four hours of washing cars
$2,400 was raised for a student
with leukemia.
Become Game Master
Certified and Help Kids!
Want to Get the Details?
Schedule a Chat.
Feel free to contact us if you're interested in joining a cohort dedicated to helping kids connect through gaming.
We're excited to collaborate with passionate individuals and organizations to create enriching experiences for young people.
Setup an appointment for more information, and let's work together to make a positive impact in the lives of children through the power of gaming.
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1UpEDU STEAM Unit Plans
Gaming and its culture is a perfect segway into STEAM/STEM education by engaging students in interactive and immersive learning experiences.
For example, building a PC from parts helps students understand hardware components and develop engineering skills. Shooting and editing club commercials involve planning, filming, and using software to edit, fostering creativity, technological proficiency, and an understanding of digital arts. Coding a game in Roblox teaches programming concepts, logic, and problem-solving.
1UpEDU provides in depth, objective oriented lesson plans , educators can make abstract STEAM and STEM concepts more tangible and accessible, thereby enhancing students' understanding and interest in these fields.
Teachable Moments
Using teachable moments in gameplay, such as controlling emotions and making responsible decisions, can significantly promote employable social skills.
When students manage frustration after a setback or choose to collaborate effectively with teammates, they are practicing emotional regulation and decision-making. These skills are directly transferable to the workplace, where employees must navigate challenges, work collaboratively, and make informed choices.
By leveraging these aspects of gameplay, educators can help students develop essential social skills that enhance their employability and overall interpersonal effectiveness. After all, why did you become an educator in the first place?
Developing Humans
Encouraging social philanthropy in local communities through school-based gaming clubs can have a profound impact. By organizing events such as charity tournaments, community service projects, and fundraising activities to help kids in need, gaming clubs can foster a sense of civic responsibility and community engagement among students.
Your club will provide a platform for students to use their passion for gaming to make a positive impact on their communities. They can help a fellow student in need through organizing a car wash, raise money for a local animal shelter, and even clean up an elderly person's yard in disarray. This approach not only enhances students' social awareness but also instills a lifelong habit of giving back, fostering a more compassionate and connected society.
August- October
Promote SEL Through Gaming
November- February
Introduce STEAM Projects for Growth
March- June
Practice Social Philanthropy Locally
An Academic Timeline
Your Path To Social Game Master
1
Join a
1Up Cohort
1UpEDU Cohorts follow the typical academic school year, beginning in August and concluding in May. As a member of a 1UpEDU cohort, you will be surrounded by like-minded educators who are eager to make a significant impact!
2
Establish Your
Gaming Club
In August, you will receive your Gaming Kit, along with both a physical and online teacher's guide. These kits include age-appropriate games designed to help your kids connect, play, and grow!
3
Mentor SEL Through
Gaming Moments
Gaming offers countless teachable moments to help socially awkward kids develop positive social and emotional skills. Show them how to calm down after losing or actively teach the importance of maintaining eye contact, and watch them grow.
4
Activate STEAM
Lessons
Once your gaming club is up and running with regular meetings, you, as its mentor, should start enhancing your students' skills through STEAM activities rooted in gaming culture. Whether you're guiding kids in streaming on YouTube or fostering a love for coding in the classroom, now is your chance!
5
Encourage Leadership
Through Social Planning
As spring approaches, it's time to actively teach leadership skills. Organize your students and channel their energy into identifying and planning an event that addresses a need in your community. Every community has needs, and every student should understand their value in society.
6
Practice Social Philanthropy
When the planning is complete, the students are organized, and the time is right, it's time to get your kids active and show the world that they matter. Witnessing the impact of 100 students who have been stereotyped out of existence is truly powerful. This is why we teach.
"There is nothing more important, in my educational career, than preparing socially awkward students for life."
Josh Bound
Founder of VGCUSA
Connect Kids In Your Building
1UpEDU is a professional development program dedicated to using the power of games to teach young people invaluable life skills. By integrating interactive and engaging games into the learning process, 1UpEDU helps students develop social and emotional intelligences. This innovative approach to developing safe spaces not only makes learning fun but also equips young people with the essential skills they need to thrive in both personal and professional settings.
1UpEDU Culture Kits
Each Gaming Kit is specifically designed to get kids connecting through CASEL standards. By connecting innocent game play with purposeful lesson plans and actions, our 1UpEDU gaming kits will revolutize your educational space by breaking down social stereotypes andbuilding lifelong friendships.
1UpEDU Educator's Guide
Everything you need to establish your gaming club and connect kids is right here! This comprehensive teacher's guide, spanning over 100 pages, includes easy-to-follow gaming guides and SEL/STEAM-based lesson plans designed specifically for your club.
Nintendo Switch Gaming Console
A Nintendo Switch with an extra set of controllers and the right game is a perfect recipe for teachable moments. Turn it on, let the sounds fill the hallways, and watch kids flock to your club. Before you know it, shaking hands and saying "GG" will become the norm.
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Curated Tabletop Games
Each kit comes complete with a set of 10 selected tabletop games which are age appropriate. Each game is modified to encourage real Social Emotional Learning amongst your club. Watch kids connect at every roll of the die!