As an early childhood educator, homeschooler and mother to a child on the spectrum, I understand the importance of social skills and creativity. I also know that, for some, these are learned with practice. The importance of providing a safe space for students of all ability levels cannot be underestimated. Not all students feel included in their own classrooms. Not all students feel heard and not every student is allowed to shine. In my “classroom,” I meet learners where they are and encourage any level of participation they are comfortable with while working within each individual’s boundaries and limitations. 

To participate in the class, each student must have access to either the Pokémon Violet or Scarlet game on a Nintendo Switch console. To join a game with others, a Nintendo Online subscription is needed. For those wanting to play together, a Union Circle is set up by one player and a link code will be shared with the other 3 players wanting to join the game. This does not require becoming friends on the game console nor sharing gamer tags. Players are not required to join a union circle (multiplayer game) during class to participate. While the multiplayer option only allows gameplay with up to 4 players at once, having additional players in the club allows students the opportunity to experience completely different adventures when rotating gameplay with different classmates.