North American gaming community the*gameHERs has launched its first women’s collegiate division with support from Lenovo Esports, Stay Plugged In (SPIN), eFuse, Evil Geniuses’ Geniuses League, and others.
According to a release, the*gameHERs Collegiate Division will provide a ‘safe, inclusive online community for women, non-binary and femme-identifying students who game and/or have a desire to work in the gaming industry.’
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This new community will allow students to interact with others across the U.S. who are interested in launching a gaming community on university campuses. It will also provide exclusive access to online resources such as collegiate tournaments and leagues, gaming and esports career mentorship, a dedicated channel on the*gameHERs Discord server and a library of resources.
In addition to the aforementioned brand partners, the*gameHERs Collegiate Division is being developed in partnership with multiple colleges and universities. DePaul University in Chicago has already signed up to participate.
Courtney James, Student Involvement Director at DePaul University, commented: “DePaul University is excited for the opportunity to partner with the*gameHERs as we continue to grow and develop our esports program. The*gameHERs’ mission to amplify and center the voices of women, femme-identifying gamers, and non-binary gamers mirrors the goals of DePaul’s esports program so we are excited to collaborate as we both work to create a more inclusive community for all gamers.”
Rebecca Dixon, Co-Founder & CMO of the*gameHERs added: “We are thrilled to expand the*gameHERs mission into the collegiate space by creating an intentional division on campuses throughout the U.S. Since our inception in March 2020, we’ve been working hard to appeal to college students so this is a huge milestone in our business.”
Partnering with eFuse aims to provide a strong platform for collegiate women, bringing events, specialized content, and professional opportunities to collegiate women across the country.
Taylor Gach, SPIN Director of Strategic Partnerships, added: “One of the driving forces at SPIN is our commitment to preparing our players for collegiate programs, and to help them find the institutions that best suit their needs.
“Working with innovative partners like the*gameHERs opens a direct line of communication to female student-athletes interested in competing in esports and developing skills for future careers in the gaming industry. Our goal is to ensure that women are invited into a community that provides support and resources towards their educational aspirations.”
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Jessica Hammond, Chief Culture Officer at Evil Geniuses, said that the Genius League collegiate program taught the organisation that diversity has never been more important to the future of esports at the college level.
“We’re proud to share those learnings with the*gameHERs as they build out their program,” she said. “Together, we look forward to providing college students from all walks of life with even more opportunities in esports and gaming, working towards a more diverse future for our industry.”
Jeff Palumbo, Global Esports Solutions Manager at Lenovo commented: “At Lenovo, we believe society should be inclusive and welcoming to all, including in esports. Together with the*gameHERS, we’re providing more opportunities to women, femme-identifying and non-binary gamers to do more of what they love doing in a supportive environment.”
Esports Insider says: This initiative combines two growing trends in the esports industry – providing resources and mentorship to women, as well as establishing strong collegiate programs. the*gameHERs (not to be confused with BroadcastHER Academy) is one of several well-backed groups trying to normalise the existence of women in esports and gaming.