These are the students’ learning goals and activities over the course of five sessions:

— Day 1 - Set Up and Basics - Our primary goal for this day is to assist students in setting up Rocket League and to familiarize kids with our camp’s objectives. We start off the camp with an icebreaker to create a comfortable space for kids to get to know each other through 2v2 and 4v4 matches..

— Day 2 - Car Movement / Attacking the Ball - Mastering movement and using different methods to strike are essential core skills of the game. In this session, students will get to practice and train these different moves in 2v2 Online Rumbles.

— Day 3 - Goaltending and Rotation - We’ll teach students how to set up good defensive strategies and how to defend shots from hitting the goal. Students in this session will also get to practice simple aerials and rotation with teammates. 

— Day 4 - Aerials - When are some ideal times to boost and use an aerial? Through in-game training and custom matches, students will get to practice different aerial techniques. 

— Day 5 - Applying What We’ve Learned - Has everyone met their goals for this camp? To wrap up this camp, everyone will participate in an in-house 2v2 tournament or a choice of game mode to apply all the new skills they’ve learned.

Connected Camps is a not-for-profit organization founded in 2015 with the mission to build a global online community where kids build, code, play, and learn from one another. Our programs are designed based on the extensive research in the learning sciences. The founders and leaders of Connected Camps, Mimi Ito and Katie Salen, are professors at the University of California, Irvine who specialize in the design of online learning experiences that are fun, social, and tied to academic outcomes. Learn more about the research behind Connected Camps at the Connected Learning Alliance resource site. 

One thing that makes our programs unique is our near-peer mentorship model. Our programs are led by young adults and college students, often with the help of high school volunteers. We hire counselors and coaches from top universities in computer science, game development, economics, and sports performance, and design and train them on how to facilitate project-based learning with younger kids. Our young instructors have the same passion for technology, games, and digital making as our learners, and take on the role of instructors, as well as fellow enthusiasts and relatable role models.  

Learn more about our organization at:  https://connectedcamps.com/about 

About UCI Esports:

UCI is the first public university to create an official esports program and is regarded as one of the best and most comprehensive in the world. The vision for the esports program was born in the summer of 2015. With a successful Computer Game Science major, a thriving gaming community, and a history of elite competition, UCI is a natural place for esports to thrive. UCI recruit's the best gamers in the world to compete for their teams in the top collegiate leagues in North America and is at the forefront of game-related education and research.