EMPOWERING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

OUR VISION

Every child deserves a chance to have their needs met so that they can grow to their full potential. But many children grow up constrained by poverty, that constrains the development of their emotional and mental well-being. These children miss out on opportunities and are never given the chance to channel their abilities into goals, or even to enjoy creative playtime as children. 


The E-Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was created with the intent to help fulfill these developmental needs. Interactive gaming, Virtual Reality (“VR”), and Augmented Reality (“AR”) will enable kids to discover more about themselves and unlock their own hidden talents and tools. By building interactive communities and facilitating e-learning through the use of scientific advancements in cutting-edge technology, we are re-envisioning what it means to serve children in underserved communities. 


Our vision is to bring the benefits of creative peer collaboration and empathetic emotional expression through the interactive world of video gaming. Video games can be powerful tools when utilized in the name of education, community-based learning, and psychotherapeutic interaction. Additionally, the Foundation’s initiative is to partner with various local businesses to provide basic nutritional and hygienic needs to underprivileged children in the community.

PHYSIOHMD

As technology advances, e-learning and gaming are becoming more adaptable and popular than ever.[1] Leaders in electronics are leveraging Virtual Reality for a variety of uses.[2]  The E-Sports Foundation is poised to utilize Virtual Reality for therapeutic use. 


The E-Sports Foundation’s initiative involves the use of PhysioHMD, a cutting-edge technology developed at MIT. PhysioHMD is a comfortable modular toolkit for collecting physiological data from head-mounted displays. VR headsets used for gaming in our program will be outfitted with PhysioHMD, making it possible to capture bio-signals and facial expressions from the children as they play. These tools will allow researchers and mental health professionals to engage in novel, personalized interactions with each individual.


It is through these interactions that the child can engage in a form of VR-enhanced cognitive behavioral therapy, building empathy and spontaneous self-expression with others. We believe this therapeutic interaction can change the trajectory of a child’s life for the better, giving the child the gift of a more secure future. 

HUMANIZE children's worlds

Regular interaction and playtime help children to develop empathic relationships with others and the world around them, humanizing their interactions and developing a safe sense of self and community.


We seek to know the stories behind and recognize the human traits of the children in the E-Sports Community. Through empathetic support, we can recognize how and when to make a child feel valued, known, and respected. Warm encouragement and embracing of the child’s personality as a whole is key to providing them with self-esteem and the drive to learn and grow. Recognition that schooling is more than a grade on a report card leads to more creative learning.

FACILITATE creative expression

Allowing a child the safe space to be themselves without pressure or expectation facilitates creative self-expression and critical thinking skills. VR headsets have been used in a variety of ways to impact learning and behavior, including performance assessment, increasing empathy with others, and even training US Army soldiers in Synthetic Training Environments to prepare them for real-world combat scenarios.


Additional research into VR has led to potential treatments for irregularities in the hippocampus, including PTSD, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.(1)

NURTURE the community

Combining gentle, honest feedback with continuing and firm belief in the child’s abilities is the balance that leads to achievement.  The technology of audio and video feedback allows the teacher’s nuance to shine through.  Students feel supported and seen, leading to breakthroughs.

NURTURING Connections

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
~Albert Einstein

Innovative development

The E-Sports Foundation was founded on the belief that children deserve the space and opportunity to engage in imaginative, creative playtime on their own terms.  Research[1] shows that children in poverty are more likely to experience developmental delays, lower academic achievement, and more behavioral and emotional challenges than their more advantaged peers.  According to Kimberly Noble MD PhD, Professor of Neuroscience at Colombia University, most brain development in the early stages of life isn’t due to new brain cells, but rather the connections between cells. Furthermore, early experiences are instrumental in shaping synaptic developmental processes.[2] 


One of the most important points of brain development occurs in the prefrontal cortex,[3] which manages social interaction, emotional regulation, impulse control, risk assessment, and long-term decision-making.[4] Additionally, the reward systems in the brain are especially malleable during adolescence.[5]


But how does Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technology aid in this development?

Creating New Worlds

Since VR headsets first came to the market in 2016, scientists and researchers have been studying ways they can be utilized outside of pure entertainment purposes but instead for growth and development. During a recent study at the University of Barcelona, subjects were asked to virtually embody the identity of Albert Einstein through the use of VR headsets, essentially taking on a new virtual identity. Participants with low self-esteem performed better on cognition tests after becoming self-identified with a well-known genius.[1] On top of that, the study indicated that participants demonstrated less bias against older people.[2] This experiment concluded that VR technology has the ability to positively impact executive functioning and cognition.


AR has been shown to engage the brain’s experiential, cognitive, and behavioral learning systems, leading to better-prepared students. AR technology encourages interactivity and engagement through the placement of digital objects within the real world.[3] It offers 2D methods of enhancing the acquisition of information and skills.[4] As part of a curriculum, AR enhances a student’s ability to communicate and express themselves. Just a few of the areas where AR can help deepen a student’s understanding include reading, spatial concepts, working with numbers, and real-life environments & scenarios.[5] Lastly, many AR setups can be minimal and easily maintained, requiring only an internet connection, a smartphone or tablet, and an AR app.[6]


The E-Sports Foundation was created to harness these technologies to improve underprivileged children’s mental and emotional development. At our program hubs, children will be free to engage with VR/AR environments in a supervised setting, allowing them the chance to immerse themselves in other worlds, building emotional and cognitive connections they might otherwise not have the chance to build. 

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