Where Technology Meets Transformation: How Denby’s Future First eSports Program Is Changing Students’ Lives

Inside a once-ordinary classroom at Denby High School, something extraordinary is happening. The room hums—not just with the sound of computers, gameplay, or live broadcasts—but with purpose, confidence, and the unmistakable spark of students discovering what’s possible for their futures.

This is the Denby eSports Program, the very first branch of Life Remodeled’s Future First Technology & Esports initiative. More than an extracurricular activity, the program is a lifeline to opportunities many Detroit students have never had access to. It’s a space where technology becomes a pathway—not just to careers, but to personal growth, community, and self-belief.

Bridging the Digital Divide, One Student at a Time

Detroit students face a reality many of their suburban peers do not: limited access to computers, reliable Wi-Fi, or even basic cell service. In some homes, technology is a luxury rather than a given.

Future First was built to change that.

The program introduces students to eSports, broadcasting, and graphic design, giving them hands-on experience with tools and skills that can shape their academic and career futures. Beyond the tech, students participate in college tours, career exploration, and mentorship through “Mentor Mondays,” where professionals in fields like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, graphic design, broadcasting, and engineering come share their stories and guidance, helping students envision a future in the tech field.

One student, a sophomore, has already set his sights on Lawrence Technological University after visiting the campus and discovering their software engineering program. These kinds of moments—sparks of possibility—are exactly what Future First exists to create.

A Program That Motivates Achievement

To participate, students must maintain a 2.5 GPA—higher than the district’s athletic requirement. For many, this program is the reason they push harder in school and stay present in the classroom. Attendance improves. Grades rise. Students stay focused because they want to be part of something meaningful.

For several students, this is the first afterschool program they’ve ever joined. Many have never felt like they “fit” in sports, music, or other activities. But here, they feel seen. They feel valued. They belong.

One student put it best when he stepped into the room before practice and said quietly:

“This room just feels like home.”

For a young person navigating the challenges of high school—and often the challenges of life outside of it—home matters.

Building Skills That Last Long After High School

While the program teaches high-level technical skills, some of the most transformative lessons aren’t digital at all.

Through practices, scrimmages, and competitions, students learn teamwork, communication, leadership, emotional regulation, and resilience. Losses become opportunities to breathe deeply, regroup, and “fail forward.” Teammates learn how to lift each other up. Frustration becomes a moment to practice self-control. Winning becomes more than scoring—it becomes growth.

These are life skills. The kind that shape adults, not just gamers.

As Jenna, Life Remodeled’s Youth Tech & Esports Navigator and Denby eSports team coach, put it:
“eSports can teach you how to be the best version of yourself.”

Competition With Purpose

Each week follows a structured rhythm:

• Mentor Mondays: tech workshops, Q&A sessions, career exploration 
• Practice Tuesdays: skill-building, scrimmages, communication training, and content creation for social media 
• Competition Wednesdays & Thursdays: live matches streamed on Twitch with student-led commentary and graphics 

Students don’t just play—they run an entire media operation. Broadcasters handle live production. Graphic designers create match graphics and highlight reels. Competitors strategize, communicate, and represent their school in statewide leagues.

They’ve even traveled for events like Eastern Michigan University’s Digital Divas, where young women explore eSports broadcasting and coding with college mentors.

These experiences open doors. They expand understanding. They inspire dreams.

A Future Powered by Opportunity

eSports is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, offering everything from engineering roles to marketing, broadcasting, design, and professional competition. Colleges across the country now offer full-ride scholarships for eSports athletes. And as technology continues to evolve, so will the opportunities connected to it.

But for the team at Future First, success isn’t defined by whether students pursue tech careers—though many will.

Success means:

• 100% high school graduation 
• Improved GPA and academic consistency 
• Better attendance 
• Students enrolling in any form of post-secondary education 
• Belief in themselves and their future 

If this program helps students feel confident, supported, and prepared—whether they pursue cybersecurity, sports marketing, or social work—then the mission is accomplished.

A Program That Fills the Gap

For too long, many students have slipped through the cracks—especially those who didn’t see themselves in traditional sports or arts programs. eSports gives them somewhere to go. Somewhere to grow.

It gives them a team.

It gives them mentors.

It gives them a future they can believe in.

And for many students at Denby, for the first time ever… it gives them a place that feels like home.