In support of Safer Internet Day, Guild Esports is announcing the full roll-out of its Parental Power Up programme, following a successful trial. Curated by industry leading experts, the programme is designed to educate parents on the world of online gaming and equip them with the tools to ensure they stay safe online when gaming.
Parents will also learn the fundamentals of Fortnite to encourage participation in their children’s gaming.
According to a recent Ofcom report 72% of children aged 8-17 play video games online and nearly a quarter of parents (22%) don’t supervise the online activity of 8-11 year olds. This has led to 22% of children chatting to people they don’t know when gaming.
Furthermore, 71% of parents are concerned at the content their children are exposed to online and to address this, Guild set up the Parental Power Up programme to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to ensure their children are safe when gaming online, particularly when doing so autonomously.
Parents that sign up to the Parental Power Up programme will take part in a number of training exercises that help develop their gaming skills and encourage practice sessions with their kids to boost their learning. Guild Esports’ Head of Player Pathway and Safeguarding, Kit Brunswick designed the programme and used popular video game title Fortnite as a basis for many of the activities. Online security forms an integral part of the program and he has integrated a series of safeguarding masterclasses to benefit both parents and kids.
Jed Leicester, a parent participant in the initial pilot scheme (and one of many who now feel more assured letting their child game online unsupervised) said, “It was a thoroughly interesting event that not only showcased the impressive set up at Sky Guild Gaming Centre, but also demonstrated how maturely the coaches worked with the children to map out and explain the skill sets required to achieve greatness within the sport. They clearly identified the potentially harmful concepts and scenarios that we (parents & children) may not have considered whilst immersed in the gaming experience… and helped us better understand how, with the right guidance the virtual and real worlds can happily overlap.”
As part of the programme parents will be invited to the Sky Guild Gaming Centre in London, where they’ll have the opportunity to learn how to engage with their children and set boundaries in a healthy manner and the children will be taught best practice on how to conduct themselves in online spaces.
This programme serves as an extension of the work Guild Esports is already doing in its local community. In 2023, more than 700 children came into Sky Guild Gaming Centre for education days where they also learnt about mental health and nutrition through the vehicle of esports.
Jasmine Skee, CEO of Guild Esports said: “Within our Guild Academy, we’ve always understood the importance of upskilling parents alongside the training that we provide to their children. As the gaming industry continues to grow and more and more young people aspire to work in esports and competitive gaming, we want to lead the charge on ensuring that parents are knowledgeable and digitally savvy, with a broad understanding of the opportunities and ecosystem of the esports industry. We see this upskilling programme as a perfect vehicle to grow this understanding in a way that is engaging and authentic – and to allow them to bond with their children through gaming.”
Guild Esports will be rolling out its parent education initiative programme on a regular basis following the success of the pilot. Parents that want to know more about gaming and esports are invited to register their interest in participating in upcoming programmes [email protected].