Maryland State Senator Ed Reilly (R-33) may have a background in selling insurance, but he buys into the future of education being increasingly high-tech, based on his interactions with the Power Hawks Robotics program at South River High School in Edgewater.
Reilly represents parts of Anne Arundel County in the Maryland General Assembly, and South River High School is in his district. Like any dedicated public service official, Reilly is focused on engaging with the educational system in the state and how it prepares Maryland students for the careers and skills that will be in demand tomorrow. This includes working closely with local schools and educators. “I have seen the robotics club grow from an interest in drones to a competitive club, which has shown itself to be one of the best in the state,” Reilly says. “Great students, great parents, and great coordinators. A stellar group of student scientists and engineers. I am very proud of them and look forward to seeing them shine even more in the future.”
The Power Hawks Robotics program is just one example of how Anne Arundel County schools are leading state efforts to mainstream Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives into the curriculum. Thanks to the work of elected officials, teachers, coaches, and others in education, Anne Arundel County is also moving forward with two more very unique initiatives—the Unified Sports program and E-Sports. All three education initiatives are viewed by state leaders as instrumental to advancing student education and, in turn, local industry and careers.
A Unified Missi0n
The Unified Sports program is, perhaps, the most inspiring offspring ever of a lawsuit, and is the work of the Maryland General Assembly.
As a result of one bold parent suing the state for their special needs child to have access to physical education, so as to participate fully in school, the Maryland Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disability Law was passed in 2008 by the Maryland General Assembly. That led to the creation of the Unified Sports programs at local high schools. In Unified Sports, special-needs students pair with neurotypical students to compete in bowling, tennis, and bocce ball. The results have exceeded all of the expectations one would have for this in terms of public policy developing to serve the common good.
For those jaundiced about today’s teenagers, go watch them walk hand-in-hand with their special-needs partner to the Unified Sports athletic events, as I did for an afternoon practice at Southern High School. You’ll quickly realize that compassion and inclusivity does exist among high schoolers. These commendable character traits start with leadership, and there are few more motivated and more inspiring individuals than Caprice West, who runs the Unified Sports program at Southern High School, and Michelle Skinner, who does the same at South River. The stated goal of Unified Sports is to “...create opportunities that lead to improved sports skills, higher self-esteem, equal status among peers, and new friendships.” It is not only reaching those goals, but exceeding them by inspiring neurotypical students to select majors in college that lead to careers in special education.
From her post, West has seen what the Unified Sports program brings to a school, especially its student-athletes. There have been many welcome, yet unexpected, phenomena from the program. Chief among these, parents are stunned to see how compassionate their suburban teenagers are in their interactions with their special-needs partners. This leads to more participation from those at home. “The parents of the partners get so involved, as they are pleasantly surprised to see that their children are so nice,” West says happily.
The H0ttest Sp0rt in T0wn?
E-Sports, which is competitive video gaming, is booming. Worldwide, the number of players is growing by the millions, with the revenue registered in the billions. And it, like Unified Sports, sees special-needs competitors as equals. One of the many great things about E-Sports is that those on the Autism Spectrum, for example, can and often do excel in E-Sports, as it requires a concentrated ability to focus.
As a result of favoring the unique skill set that many on the Spectrum possess, E-Sports develops star athletes on the international stage, both neurotypical and special-needs.
Patrick Oot, a partner with the international law firm of Shook Hardy Bacon, has a leading electronic discovery practice that has lent itself to developing E-Sports. He is bullish on this region for gaming growth. “Anne Arundel County is perfect for building a premier E-Sports program from the ground up, which is critical for engendering wide-spread support,” he says. “It is [an affluent county], with the state capital in Annapolis and a robust high-tech community, thanks to the presence of the NSA.”
Oot further suggests, “While it is true that E-Sports is growing, it still lacks cohesion and direction. “But,” he points out, “that presents an opportunity for Anne Arundel County [and others in the state] to create a strong framework, as it has in other areas with its signature school programs. Designating a school as an E-Sports signature school, along with making it a varsity sport is an easy, logical, low-cost step that will help local E-Sport student-athletes earn college scholarships!”
Bringing It All T0gether
Thanks to the presence of Federal government agencies, most notably NSA and NASA in the area, there is a local abundance of high-tech talent, featuring world-class engineers and computer scientists. The government, at every level, has done its part in helping to prepare Maryland students for careers in the future workforce, which will be more technical.
Public initiatives are working in the state, based on recent national rankings. Nine public high schools in Maryland were rated among the best for STEM programs by U.S. News & World Report. These schools are located across the state. Introducing an E-Sports presence to augment their programs could enhance student achievement and school rankings.
Long a leader in producing top student-athletes, Maryland and, specifically, Anne Arundel County, schools are now at the vanguard for turning out “Digital Deion Sanders” thanks to E-Sports, robotics, and Unified Sports programs.
Deion Sanders was one of those few gifted athletes, who could play several sports at the major league level. Anne Arundel County could soon be producing these uniquely talented student-athletes, who would excel at both traditional sports, along with a supremacy in computer games. E-Sports could aggrandize many school departments similar to how traditional athletic teams do so. A responsible athletics department does much to make the student, the school, and surrounding community stronger. So, too, would a robust E-Sports program, but more so within the STEM arena. This framework could better prepare student-athletes for careers after graduation.
To achieve this, Maryland high schools should include E-Sports in the Unified Sports program. After this is accomplished, take E-Sports from the province of the athletic department to be part of the Signature, Magnet, and STEM offerings at Maryland schools. The new Crofton High School could be a natural fit for an E-Sports Signature program, as many parents who work at NSA, NASA, et al live in this community. Both E-Sports and robotics should be considered as varsity sports, too. The benefits will far outweigh the expenses.
An ancillary benefit of offering computer activities to students through robotics and E-Sports is the leveling of income inequality at the local level. Maryland already performs well in preventing income inequality among all states, ranking 11th in the nation. This can be improved by increasing student access to computers at school, especially to those that do not have at access at home. “Digital inequality” is a tremendous problem in the United States, as students with a computer and access to the Internet at home perform better in school and in their careers, according to research by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). As just one example, the Universal College Application is completed through a computer, along with the needed documents, such as transcripts and letters of recommendation. A supportive, conducive STEM environment with computer-based sporting activities such as “Minecraft” and “Fortnite”—two games that many teenagers, no matter how affluent the family, already enjoy playing—could enhance student achievement. Imagine evolving E-Sports into an organized school program with rewards that could include a college scholarship or entering the path toward a rewarding career.
Success 0n the H0riz0n
In what is unquestionably her proudest statement as an educator about the Unified Sports program in Maryland, Southern High School’s West boasts, “I think this is the first generation that does not see disabilities.”
Credit for that abounds thanks to Unified Sports. This is seen in robotics programs as well, and could, one day soon, in E-Sports. Educators at local schools, like Southern and South River, not only share the vision, but work hard to implement the critical detail work that make each program successful.
Last November, in what was one of the first events of its kind in Anne Arundel County, Annapolis cluster students from Bates Middle and Annapolis Middle squared off in an E-sports competition held at Maryland Hall in Annapolis. The event was presented by the office of Mayor Gavin Buckley and EliteGamingLIVE, the premiere K–12 E-sports league.
Leaders in their fields, like Reilly, Oot, West, Skinner, Buckley, and others envision major gains for Anne Arundel County students and Marylanders statewide with the implementation of such events and programs. Further effort to build on their blossoming success could lead to higher student achievement, lower rates of income inequality, and enhanced community/career engagement.
