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Education advocates have worked to ensure K-12 curriculums are more in line with real-world expectations for years. One of the most pointed topics for curriculum redesign has been the inclusion of classes related to financial literacy. In 2022, the National Endowment for Financial Education released a report highlighting the nationwide efforts to make this advocacy work a reality for students. And for some who attend a historically Black school in North Carolina, that reality has been leveled up. Hands-on instruction has taken on a new meaning for the students of Hillside High School as it has opened a bank on its campus in Durham.
When it comes to the game of life, being one step ahead is vital, especially for PlayVS founder, Delane Parnell. As a founder, Parnell has carved his own lane in the esports industry, taking others along with him every step of the way through PlayVS, “where amateur esports happens,” according to its website. The company has changed the lives of high school students by equipping them with opportunities to not only play the game but also by opening the doors to hundreds of scholarships across North America, in turn, acting as an entryway into professional gaming as a way of life. Now the Detroit native’s story is being told through “Ahead of the Game,” written by Kevin J. Ryan to spotlight the young entrepreneurs’ unique journey and shed light on the impact that his company has had on youth across America. Parnell joined AfroTech to discuss why he agreed to go through with the book despite not initially thinking it was time, his love for esports, and the power that hard work has to...
For NBA 2K fans in high school, it’s officially your time to shine. After a partnership between Publisher 2K and Black-owned esports company PlayVS, the popular basketball video game is on its way to becoming a high school varsity esport in the U.S. and Canada, Forbes reports. In the spring, NBA 2K will be added to PlayVS for gamers to begin their online matches. Keeping in mind the reality that everyone doesn’t have the ability to play contact sports, the new partnership aims to provide more inclusivity for students, along with helping to improve attendance, grades and graduation rates — even as far as eventually competing at collegiate and professional levels. “Bringing NBA 2K, one of the most highly demanded titles among our player base, to high schools across the country is a monumental opportunity in scholastic esports,” PlayVS founder and CEO Delane Parnell said in a statement. “Since the founding of PlayVS, it has been our vision to grow esports opportunities at the high...
Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy is ready to take your children to the next level. According to Vibe, the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) prep high school in Denver, CO has just opened its doors, and its inaugural class of freshmen will be treated to a rare twist on the “college prep experience.” Namely, the academy is designed to mimic the HBCU experience, and it’s the first of its kind to do so. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy (@robertfsmithsteamacademy) Initially, according to co-founder Samatha Pryor, the plan was to name the school after First Lady Michelle Obama. Ultimately, however, it was decided to name the school after the chemical engineer-turned-investor. Pryor also said that the school was opened up in an area that was in desperate need of those types of resources. “We wanted to create a high-quality option in our neighborhood because a lot of our kids were going outside of our neighborhood, traveling long...
Dr. Dre and his longtime collaborator, Jimmy Iovine, have announced that they’ve teamed up yet again. But this time, their collaboration isn’t a musical one (well, not exactly, anyway). According to the Los Angeles Times, who was the first to break the story, the rapper-turned-mogul and the music industry veteran will be launching a new public school in South Central Los Angeles. The school, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2022, will be focused on the entrepreneurial spirit that propelled both these men to success from the 1980s on. “[I want to reach] the inner-city kid, the younger me,” Dr. Dre said to the Los Angeles Times. “Here’s a place that you can go where there’s something that you can learn that you’re really interested in.” The Los Angeles County Board of Education approved the plans for the school, and Iovine was very specific about providing the prospective students an opportunity to work for some of the coolest companies in the world. What’s more, he said,...
Never underestimate a Black woman’s drive for success. Vivian Fisher, a 98-year-old woman from California, achieved her lifelong dream recently graduating high school. According to Black News , as part of Monrovia High School’s Class of 2020, Fisher received her diploma alongside her great-grandnephew, Elijah Vance, in a drive-thru ceremony. Vance’s father rented a van for the entire family to ensure everyone could make it to see both of them graduate. “We had 12 people in there so we loaded it up everybody was able to come that wanted to come,” said Jason Vance, Vivian’s great-nephew, to KABC . Fisher wasn’t able to graduate high school in her youth because she worked multiple jobs to support her family. Her dream of graduating has been 82 years in the making, but she never let time stop her. “This graduation ceremony will go down as one of the most unique and exceptional graduations that this school has had,” said Kirk McGinnis, principal of Monrovia High School, to KABC. Fisher...
Rapper Lil Baby takes his turn to give back. The 25-year-old Atlanta native recently secured his first no. 1 album with his sophomore album, “My Turn.” Amid his chart-topping success, he launched a $150,000 scholarship fund of the same name during a surprise visit to Booker T. Washington High School. Earlier this month, Lil Baby returned to his former high school to gift the education institution with a check to help high-achieving students attend college. One recipient, Vachon Raye, Jr., hopes to attend an ivy league school, reports WSB-TV Atlanta . “Him coming back here. Why would he want to come here? To give back. For him to give back, really impact for me,” Raye told WSB-TV. The program is in partnership with Amazon Music’s Rap Rotation, Quality Control Music, Wolfpack Global, and Motown Records. “A majority of the students in these neighborhoods, when they have good grades most of them don’t have support,” he told Billboard. “They don’t have a family who can afford to [send...
PlayVS, the company working to bring esports to the high school level, today announced it raised just over $30 million in a series B funding round . This comes after it amassed $15 million during a series A just six months ago. PlayVS took a different lane into the esports arena. Instead of focusing on the larger communities across the country already participating in competitive gaming, it focused on high school students–a group somewhat underserved. This investment round was led by groups like Elysian Park Ventures and Science Inc. Adidas also came on as a new investor, making it the first esports investment for the company. Samsung and Sean Combs are two other notable new investors who joined during this round. The growing esports company is also adding two new games, Rocket League and SMITE, which should make it more popular for gamers who want to be a part of the platform. The company also announced several months ago that it was teaming up with League of Legends — an immensely...
Esports are the next wave — and they’re about to be even bigger and more accessible thanks to PlayVS (which is pronounced “play versus”) receiving $15 million in Series A funding. “In the beginning, our goal wasn’t even necessarily to advocate for video games,” says Delane Parnell, Founder of PlayVS, “We looked at the current landscape and realized there was a huge gap in the market. There are millions of amateur gamers out there who want to compete. The most important demographic within this segment is high schoolers. Until now, there was no way for them to actually compete. We are going to provide that venue in a supervised, safe environment that makes them part of something larger.” PlayVS is an online portal that helps students, administrators and recruiters connect where matches are set and scheduled and statistics are tracked to help regulate high school esports. PlayVS began by partnering with the National Federation of High School Associations to build out the high school...