Nintendo partners with Digital Schoolhouse to help deliver ‘play-based learning’ to thousands of learners

Nintendo UK has teamed up with not-for-profit organisation Digital Schoolhouse (DSH) to help deliver “play-based learning and industry best practice” to school and college learners over the next academic year.

Becoming the programme’s new lead partner, Nintendo UK hopes to support an estimated 32,000 learners across a network for 55 schools and colleges “to bridge the gap between industry and education, combining fun, innovation and creativity with learning” and enable learners to learn anytime, anywhere with Nintendo’s mobile console system, Nintendo Switch.

The programme – which is delivered by UK trade industry body Ukie – works in the grassroots of computing and is also working with Nintendo UK to deliver the next DSH national schools esports tournament. A press release states the Digital Schoolhouse Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Team Battle “will provide an immersive career experience for students allowing them to develop practical and soft skills with participation in professional esports roles, such as team hosting and production crafted by the video games industry for education”. It is expected to reach 6,000 learners across 60 participating schools across the UK.

“Nintendo UK is extremely excited to be working together with Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse as lead partner. The Digital Schoolhouse programme uniquely combines computing, fun, creativity and innovation, all of which are synonymous and at the heart of Nintendo’s values,” said Kalpesh Tailor, head of communications at Nintendo UK. “Through this collaborative partnership we aim to reach more teachers and pupils than ever before, in order to help inspire the next generation of young minds across the UK.

“Through Digital Schoolhouse Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Team Battle  with Nintendo Switch, as well as through other play-based learning initiatives, we want to be able to provide young adults with fun and unique experiences that will form positive lasting memories as well as foster the development of skillsets within students which they can take with them into their future.”

“We’re delighted Nintendo UK has agreed to throw its support behind Digital Schoolhouse. DSH has evolved enormously in just three years and their support means we can reach more pupils and teachers than ever with our transformative and inspiring programme,” added Shahneila Saeed, director of Digital Schoolhouse. 

“To date, these partnerships have helped DSH achieve national expansion and rapid growth, which is testament to the significant commitment from schools across the country to improve their digital skills provision. Nintendo is the latest global company to pick up the baton and push forward the programme into the next academic year.”

DSH’s support roster includes the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), SEGA, PlayStation, Ubisoft, and Warwickshire County Council.