Reimagining Safe Spaces: What School Leaders Can Learn from Scholastic Esports
What if the most powerful space for student growth isn’t in a classroom, but on a digital battlefield?
Since 2022, Inflexion has partnered with the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) to explore this very question. Together, with support from the Department of Homeland Security, we’ve examined how scholastic esports can offer far more than entertainment. They can be a tool for STEM learning, belonging, social-emotional development, and even violence prevention.
The results are in. And school leaders need to pay attention.
OBJECTIVES
- Creating spaces where students feel seen and supported builds a culture of belonging.
- Aligning new programs with leadership and goals makes transformation sustainable.
- Embedding digital citizenship and leadership strengthens student success in all settings.
- Adapting programs to local culture ensures relevance and lasting impact.
Why Esports? Why Now?
For many students, especially those in underserved or high-risk communities, esports clubs are becoming safe, inclusive, and affirming spaces where they feel seen, supported, and successful.
Inflexion’s research highlights the urgent relevance of this work: in a digital world where extremist ideologies can find traction through isolation and toxic online communities, structured esports programming provides a powerful counterforce. Through peer support, ethical guidance, and opportunities for leadership, students gain the tools to navigate digital spaces with purpose and resilience.
5 Key Lessons for School Leaders
Esports Are More Than Games, They Are Gateways to Growth
Through the NASEF model, students reported notable gains in communication, teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking. More importantly, they consistently described a sense of belonging they hadn’t felt elsewhere.
The structure of these clubs—with clear expectations, adult mentorship, and peer accountability—transformed play into personal development.
Leadership takeaway: Esports can be a powerful channel for cultivating SEL and life skills if we invest in the structure to support it.
Inclusion Is a Design, Not a Side Effect
Inflexion’s study focused on communities identified as vulnerable to social isolation and extremism. These were not “gaming enthusiasts” in the traditional sense. They were students at risk of disengagement, and in some cases, recruitment into harmful ideologies.
But in these clubs, students found:
- A safe, structured peer environment
- Opportunities to lead and be heard
- Clear norms around sportsmanship and behavior
Toxic behaviors such as harassment or bullying declined. Pro-social norms increased. Across Puerto Rico, Indiana, and California, students voiced feeling safer and more empowered over time.
Leadership takeaway: Intentionality matters. Inclusive extracurriculars don’t just reduce risk, they elevate students who might otherwise feel invisible.
Culture Change Requires Leadership, Not Just Logistics
Inflexion’s evaluation found that successful club implementation hinged on a few key elements:
- Strong site-level leadership
- Institutional alignment with school values
- Sustainable resources and time
Where those were in place, clubs thrived. Where they weren’t, students struggled to stay engaged.
Leadership takeaway: As with any initiative, success begins with the adults who champion it and the systems that support them.
Digital Citizenship Is Teachable and Measurable
One of the study’s most intriguing insights was the relationship between social dominance attitudes, disruptive gaming behaviors, and self-acceptance. Over the course of the program, students showed marked reductions in toxic behaviors and increased self-awareness.
Why? Because these clubs don’t just promote “good behavior”, they create belonging, which shifts how students see themselves and others online.
This is digital citizenship in action, and it’s measurable.
Leadership takeaway: SEL and digital literacy go hand in hand. Esports can be a real-world lab for both.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All (And That’s the Point)
From urban high schools in Indiana to remote areas of Puerto Rico, the NASEF model proved adaptable, scalable, and culturally responsive. Local educators tailored club activities to align with their communities’ needs without sacrificing the core focus on STEM, SEL, and ethical leadership.
This kind of flexible design is what allows good ideas to become lasting systems.
Leadership takeaway: Sustainable success requires cultural fit. Start with your students’ realities and build up from there.
The Power of Purposeful Play
In an age of complexity and rapid change, schools must evolve to meet students where they are. Esports are not a replacement for academics, they’re a bridge. A space where students can explore identity, develop resilience, and discover new possibilities for the future.
As Inflexion’s research shows, when structured intentionally, esports clubs can:
- Reduce isolation and disengagement
- Foster leadership and belonging
- Strengthen digital citizenship
- Spark interest in STEM and future careers
They can even protect against extremist influence. That’s not just enrichment, that’s impact.
Let’s lead with vision. Let’s build with purpose.
Voice and chose can allow students to explore their passions and feel honored for their ideas and opinions.
-Andrew Miller
This work by Inflexion is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Stay in the Loop
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Responses