COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Blaze Fire Games have announced a partnership to give DJJ students at the 13 facilities across the state of South Carolina the opportunity to create new and refreshing metaverse academic and career pathway opportunities in both esports and cybersecurity industries.
The SCDJJ is the first juvenile justice facility in the country to partner with Blaze Fire Games to help students achieve and give them valuable skills they can use in the future.
The agreement features the Blaze Fire Games career online certification program, which offers the following courses: Intro to esports, Active Listening Skills in esports, Effective Communication Strategies in esports, Certified Secure Computer User, Network Defense Essentials, Ethical Hacking Essentials, Digital Forensics Essentials, Build Your First Game with RPG Maker MV, and Game Development with C# and Unity - Writing Your First Game in Unity.
“This is a real game-changer for our students,” said SCDJJ Deputy Superintendent Floyd Lyles. “I am excited that SCDJJ is partnering with Blaze Fire Games because this is an incredible opportunity for our students throughout the state of South Carolina. This partnership will allow our students to gain exposure to one of the fastest growing online industries in the nation and we look forward to the incredible collaborations that will be produced when incorporating the esports games industry and education certificates. Together, it opens a vast number of career pathway opportunities in one of the most sought-after talent fields in the world,” said Lyles.
Isiah Reese, Blaze Fire CEO and co-founder said, “I am a native of South Carolina and this agreement represents a personal achievement for our company and partners. We started the SCDJJ BETA five years ago and have had a 99.8% student success course completion rate. This career pathway partnership can discover and develop the next generation of hidden figures talent of content creators in cybersecurity, video game design developers, and gamers.”
The sole source provider agreement partnership also includes membership access to the Blaze Fire Games Recruit, Reclaim, and Retain academic education career track pipeline program designed to close the minority talent gap in the technology industry.
The initiative will also provide potential academic and athletic esports potential opportunities that are available at several Historically Black College Universities (HBCUs), Attorney Ricky Anderson Entertainment Law Institute (ARAELI), Attorney Ben Crump Social Justice Institute (BCSJI) local and non-minority student-serving institutions, and corporate partners.
About SCDJJ
The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is a state cabinet agency committed to serving South Carolina's youthful offenders. DJJ is responsible for providing custodial care and rehabilitation for the state’s children who are incarcerated, on probation or parole, or in community placement for a criminal or status offense. The agency’s mission is to impact and transform young lives, strengthen families, and support safer communities through targeted prevention and rehabilitation. The agency’s vision is that youth discover their strengths and abilities and become productive and successful citizens contributing to a safer South Carolina.
About Blaze Fire Games
Blaze Fire Games is a licensed digital online games provider that taps into various creative talents and skills across the globe. The company aims to connect a diverse group of participants by introducing them to a career path where they will learn to compete in a gaming environment.