LHRIC -

Esports Playdate 2026
Level up your district's approach to eSports! Join LHRIC Instructional Technology and selected vendor partners for an immersive Esports event designed specifically for K-12 educators and administrators. Our playdate will feature an opening keynote, followed by expert-led breakout sessions covering essential topics like coaching, hardware versatility, and the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) impact of gaming. Explore our dedicated demo arena to see professional-grade setups in action, enjoy power-up snacks, and participate in a live Q&A panel to get your program-specific questions answered. Whether you are building a program from scratch or refining an existing team, discover how a properly built Esports initiative can bridge subjects and engage every student.

Note: this event is open to participating LHRIC Model Schools at no charge, but we can accommodate outside registrants for a fee of $250 per participant. Please contact Leslie Accardo (laccardo@lhric.org) with any questions.

Register for Esports Playdate

Educators from area districts turn out to hear from providers of key data tools
June 4, 2025

School counselors, social workers and building advisers recently had the opportunity to learn more about new platforms that will help them assess students’ emotional well-being during an SEL Vendor Spotlight hosted jointly by the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center and the Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support at Southern Westchester BOCES.

Several in attendance, who work with elementary, middle and high school students, said they were interested in finding tools to help screen students, collect data and find a curriculum that would benefit their students the most.

Throughout the day-long event, representatives from educational technology providers ApertureED (which was recently acquired by Riverside Insight), Renaissance, Rethink Ed and Branching Minds, shared how their individual programs work, what type of data they can collect and how best to implement it in schools.

“It’s not just for students,” Maisha Campbell, RECOVS Mental Health Resource Specialist, told guests with regard to SEL. “It helps build more positive and trusting relationships and leads to improved academic outcomes.”

Ms. Campbell said that tools shared with guests on this day were also beneficial in helping students learn to manage stress, anxiety and depression. “It improves attitudes about themselves, others and their schools,” she said.

Each vendor shared how their program allowed data to be collected and analyzed to help students learn more about themselves and how they can move forward with new strategies and understanding.

“Quality data helps us address SEL and its impact on academics,” said Dr. Lisa Micou of Riverside Insight. “Data has to have context, and it has to have meaning.”

The goal of screening students, Aggie Monezis, National Academic Advisor for Renaissance, said, is “to see what is inside and know what our students are feeling.”

“Having that data is helpful in finding the right intervention,” agreed one guest in attendance.

Learn more about helpful SEL products: https://www.renaissance.com/products/saebrs/ • https://www.rethinked.com/ • https://apertureed.com/ • https://wakelet.com/wake/DI66h0EyJPNM44wjKodWq