Structured eSports programs give that passion somewhere to go. Students who haven't connected with traditional extracurriculars find their place. Digital literacy stops feeling like a lesson and starts feeling like common sense.
Silverton Primary School in Noble Park North, Victoria, has been running an eSports program since 2020. Over five years it has become one of the most valued parts of their school culture.
The eSmart team has worked closely with Silverton over many years, supporting them to build a positive digital culture for the whole school community.
As part of National eSmart Week in 2026, Silverton will be holding an ambitious and exciting eSports tournament.
About Silverton Primary School
Silverton is a government primary school in Melbourne's south-east with around 520 students and a diverse community. They've been a registered eSmart school since 2012.
Their eSports program launched during lockdown in 2020 with a simple premise: use gaming as a vehicle for teaching digital safety and wellbeing.
The program runs weekly, is capped at 24 students, and each session has a rotating focus around topics such as teamwork, sportsmanship, game strategy or safe online interaction. Students also complete eSmart modules as part of the program.
As program coordinator Jason Tang puts it: "I believe there are very similar emotional and social benefits to eSports that are in traditional physical sports. Every sport has a different skillset that makes or breaks a good athlete, and I think that applies to digital games as well."
Watch Silverton's eSports program in action: Silverton Primary School – eSmart Video
Why the program works
The program was designed to help students become safer gamers. The outcomes have gone well beyond that.
It reaches students that other programs don't
As one Silverton educator explains: "Sometimes we have students that don't have the thing that they love that is valued. This platform allows them to really show that skill. And by having a program, it shows that we value it as well."
For students who don't connect with traditional sports or extracurriculars, the eSports program has become a genuine point of belonging.
It builds social skills through play
Students from different friendship groups, year levels and backgrounds come together over a shared interest. The program turns that into growth. It supports teamwork under pressure and learning to be respectful toward opponents they can't see.
As the school describes it: "They have created a safe, supportive, and inclusive culture on their own within the program."
Safety is built in, not bolted on
Conversations about privacy, boundaries and respectful behaviour aren't separate "safety lessons" – they're part of what it means to be a good player.
The program addresses toxic player culture by combining online competition with face-to-face events, so students learn that there's a real person on the other end of every game.
Physical wellbeing is woven in to encourage responsible gamers who know when to take a break, stay hydrated and look after themselves.
The program is growing
The program is capped at 24 due to staffing, but demand increases every year. Students have started hosting their own lunchtime tournaments and class-based gaming projects.
Silverton was shortlisted as a finalist at the inaugural FUSE Cup Australian School eSports Awards in 2025, with their Mario Kart team winning the primary school national division, and their Just Dance team taking out both the national teen and national solo divisions.
How the eSmart approach supports this program
eSmart is Australia’s trusted provider of online safety and is designed to be scalable and adaptable for a variety of educational settings, and our team is always willing to work with educators to find solutions that suit their unique context, engaging students while building crucial knowledge and skills to thrive in a digital world.
National eSmart Week, which this year will run from 30 March to 5 April, is a week-long event to celebrate all the incredible work that our schools and communities across the country are doing to help people stay smart and responsible online.
We will have webinars for educators and parents, virtual Storytime sessions for the classroom and home, and everyone who registers for National eSmart Week will receive a downloadable eBook containing resources and activities to support digital literacy.
Register for National eSmart Week or explore the eSmart offering here.
