Programs
Hope & Healing for Military Kids
Through Competitive Gaming
Mentorships
Gold Star Gamers is a mission-driven nonprofit organization focused solely on helping military kids who have lost a loved one to find hope, healing, confidence, and connection through competitive gaming. A key part of this is exposing kids to mentors who provide a bond, share in their grief, and are driven to make kids’ lives better. Kids are sometimes starstruck to be playing alongside a military or professional gamer. With the final goal of winning it all, mentorship gives these kids something to look forward to—something to help them to continue putting one step in front of another. If you are a military, professional or college-age gamer, we want you!
Training Camps
Gold Star Gamers Training Camps help grieving military kids ages 7-19 “level-up” their esports skills as a means to process the loss of a dad or loved one while. It helps improve kids gaming abilities and increases confidence for the upcoming gaming events, if they choose to participate. At the same time, it helps college-age gamers earn money towards college or trade school while playing video games! Camps run 0 days, and involve 0 number of kids, divided by age and kids can participate in person or virtually. What are you waiting for?
Gaming Events
Gaming events match kids with their adult military volunteer. These 2-person teams meet for practice ahead of competition day, virtually or in person. When the competition online begins, they compete against other teams in the same military branch. The winners of each branch gain a professional gamer for 3-person teams that go on to compete for a prize to be donated to a Gold Star charity. The whole event takes place in a few hours on a given date. But the anticipation and practice gives participating kids something to look forward to for weeks!
Qualifications
For Kids to Game
Child is between
7 – 18*
*Exceptions can be made
They are divided by age exceptions can be made.
Parent/Guardian’s permission to play
Child has lost a dad, mom, other significant family member, caretaker or loved one who served in one of the branches of the military (Reserves, Coast Guard and National Guard all qualify).
You and your child can commit to gaming practices in camp, with their assigned mentor, and event-day activities.