On the 2nd of September, eight students from Coomera Anglican College had their dreams come true by attending the first Students’ Day at DreamHack in Melbourne.  

Dreamhack is an ESL gaming brand specialising in Esports tournaments and gaming conventions. It hosts the ESL Pro League, Intel Extreme Masters and the HCS Regional. 

In 1992, schoolmates of an elementary school in Malung, Sweden, formed a small gathering in the basement of the school building to connect their computers and share interests in video games. By 1994, the student-named, ‘Dreamhack’ event moved to the school cafeteria and evolved, ‘Dreamhack’ event moved to the school cafeteria and evolved into one of the more significant gaming events in Sweden. By 2010, it grew to a record 13,608 attendees, with 12,754 computers gathered in nine important cities worldwide. 

Dreamhack was held for the first time in Melbourne at the start of September, where over 21,000 attendees visited the festival. A range of Esports, content creators, student activities, live music, panels and LAN tournaments were available. 

Mr Mark Mendez-Cortes, Film and Television and New Media Studies Teacher, Mr Darryl Hall, IT Manager and Mrs Virginia Warner, Deputy Principal Strategy and Innovation, accompanied the eight students from the College’s Esports Club for the inaugural event.  

Coomera Anglican College recognises that education must evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world and is currently on a journey to redefine education for our students. We aim to equip our students to rise to any challenge and be ready for anything.  

Esports is a rapidly growing industry across the globe. In education, it provides a path for students to build on their passion for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in a highly engaging and inclusive platform.  

Mrs Virginia Warner, Deputy Principal of Strategy and Innovation, has been leading the discussion at the College around what the future holds for our learners and learning and was excited about the opportunity to delve into this new and upcoming industry.  

“It was the sense of community and the deep care and acceptance witnessed at DreamHack that surprised me most. This is a diverse industry and so much more than simply playing a game. I really enjoyed having the students teach me about an industry I knew very little about before we went to Melbourne,” said Virginia Warner.  

Mr Mark Mendez-Cortes is leading the Esports Club and, in collaboration with Mrs Virginia Warner, provided the opportunity for students to be involved in this event. 

“The Dreamhack experience provided an opportunity for our students to learn and experience the true potential of Esports in today’s society,” said Mark Mendez-Cortes. 

“They learnt firsthand from industry experts and professionals about how they can achieve success and how to overcome the challenges this space provides. It was truly an invaluable experience”. 

Students learnt about Esports and creative industry pathways and heard from successful content creators. They also had the opportunity to meet with the management team for ‘Team Bliss’, a professional Esports organisation based in Brisbane.  

“We want our students to be actively involved in their own learning, and we know that real learning comes from relating, not repeating. DreamHack has provided the opportunity for our students to inquire about industry and experience along with potential pathways into the future,” said Virginia Warner.   

Students from the College were also allowed to meet with the Lead Lecturer from Queensland University of Technology’s Diploma of Esports to discuss and gain insight into university pathways in the industry.