Atlanta’s Youth Esports League brings competitive gaming, mentorship, career exploration, and technology training into community centers—giving young Atlantans new ways to play, learn, compete, and discover what’s possible.
Program Category:
Youth & Early Talent
Program Type:
OTI-led partnership
Gaming can be more than a pastime. It can be a gateway to technology, new skills, and careers young people may never have considered.
Atlanta’s Youth Esports League brings that opportunity directly into neighborhood community centers, creating spaces where young Atlantans can compete, learn, connect with mentors, and explore the technology and careers behind the gaming and esports industries.
Through organized league play, participants compete across Atlanta community centers while receiving coaching and mentorship that extends beyond the game. Guest speakers, field trips, and career exploration help young people see the range of possibilities connected to gaming, esports, and the broader technology economy.
The initiative also connects participants with workforce-development opportunities. Programming has included access to professional certification training in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing and e-commerce, IT support, project management, and user experience design—helping young people translate their interest in technology into practical skills.
Supporting that programming is an investment in the places where young people learn and connect. Upgraded computers, gaming systems, and high-speed connectivity help transform community centers into neighborhood access points for technology and digital opportunity.
By meeting young people through something they already enjoy, Atlanta’s Youth Esports League creates a bridge from gaming to skills, from skills to career exploration, and from career exploration to new possibilities.