Dr. Melita N. Moore, a Black woman founder, established the Health-e-Gamer Foundation in 2020 alongside Levels Unlocked Enterprises, a woman-led enterprise, to address a critical challenge touching education, employment and community well-being: digital access.
Through its signature program, LevelUpLand, the organization helps close digital literacy gaps by using gaming as a pathway to broader technology skills. Initially focused on young girls of color in rural communities, LevelUpLand emphasizes PC-based gaming so students gain hands-on experience with the devices most commonly used in higher education, the workplace, and competitive esports.
In recent years, the nonprofit has expanded its reach to serve rural youth, justice-impacted young people and seniors through programs that use technology as a tool for both engagement and opportunity. That work includes STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) Innovation Labs, workforce development initiatives and esports programs designed to help participants build practical digital skills.
"We set out to advance digital literacy, digital equity, and digital health by leveraging gaming as a compelling entry point."
Bringing industry credentials into the program
As Health-e-Gamer's programming evolved, the organization wanted to connect participant engagement with credentials that hold value beyond the program. They already had a strong foundation in technology education but wanted a way to give learners structured pathways that validated the skills they were developing. That led them to begin integrating the CompTIA AI Essentials course into programs serving both seniors and youth.
For Health-e-Gamer, the value extends beyond the curriculum itself. Industry-recognized credentials give participants a way to demonstrate their skills outside the program, helping connect technology education to future education and workforce opportunities.
For board member Sabrina Goodlett-Williams, who has both taught and completed CompTIA coursework, the appeal went beyond brand recognition. The CompTIA curriculum structure aligned closely with the way Health-e-Gamer teaches.
“The simplicity, the ease of use, the ability to interface with the CompTIA class, I think is easy for people to understand and adapt to,” Goodlett-Williams said. “That's going to make it really easy for us to infuse CompTIA into our program.”
That ease of use is especially important for an organization serving multiple generations. Goodlett-Williams points to the mix of reading, videos, and hands-on labs as a key strength of the curriculum. The variety helps learners stay engaged by moving quickly from instruction to hands-on practice, allowing participants to apply concepts shortly after they are introduced. For Health-e-Gamer participants, many of whom have different levels of technology experience, that balance of instruction and hands-on learning has proven particularly effective.
The built-in flexibility also aligns with the organization's learner-centered approach. Goodlett-Williams notes that participants can progress through the curriculum at their own pace and set personalized completion goals. The seniors, in particular, respond positively to the platform's pacing features, which break coursework into manageable daily milestones and make the learning experience feel more approachable.
Using AI education across generations
Health-e-Gamer's first step with CompTIA centered on the AI Essentials course, a decision driven by both participant interest and the growing role of AI in everyday life.
Health-e-Gamer introduced AI concepts to seniors not only as a tool for daily task efficiency, but also as a critical method for recognizing and combating online scams. With older adults facing an alarming spike in financial fraud, losing a record $4.9 billion to scams in 2024 according to FBI IC3 data, fraud prevention became a top priority. AI Essentials provided a natural extension of Health-e-Gamer's existing programming, giving senior participants a structured framework to safely evaluate and navigate AI technologies they encounter in healthcare, finance, and daily communication.
For youth participants, technology instruction is embedded within gaming and esports experiences. Students learn foundational AI concepts while exploring how emerging technologies are being used across gaming, content creation and technology careers. Discussions about prompting, ethics and practical applications are connected to topics participants already find engaging.
The same approach extends to Health-e-Gamer's justice-impacted youth programs. Participants receive access to the same technology education and certification opportunities available to learners outside the juvenile justice system. These experiences build confidence and develop skills participants can use after re-entering their communities.
Creating new opportunities through credentials
In one cohort of justice-impacted youth, students completed CompTIA AI Essentials coursework and sat for the CompCert (Competency Certificate) exam. Most participants passed, earning an industry-recognized credential tied to an emerging technology skill set.
The achievement drew attention from the juvenile intervention program's stakeholders, including those who had supported the initiative from the start. “They were highly impressed that we were able to give them access to AI training and build that skill with them,” Goodlett-Williams said. “And then they could take an exam and pass it.”
Looking ahead, Health-e-Gamer expects CompTIA to play an even larger role across its programs. The organization plans to expand beyond AI Essentials, incorporating additional training and certifications that support pathways into cybersecurity, networking, defense technology, and other technology careers. Leaders see those credentials as an important way to connect learners with skills that employers recognize and value.
One example is the organization's new Senior Esports USA program, an ambitious initiative designed to bring older adults into competitive gaming while expanding opportunities for digital skill development. As part of the inaugural program, all team members will complete the CompTIA AI Essentials course, reinforcing Health-e-Gamer's commitment to pairing engagement with workforce-relevant technology education.
For Moore and her team, gaming remains a powerful way to capture attention. The partnership with CompTIA helps turn that initial interest into skills participants can apply in school, work and everyday life. Through structured learning and industry-recognized credentials, learners build practical skills that open doors to collegiate esports, further technology education, and future careers.
Looking to expand digital literacy, workforce readiness, or technology education in your own program? Contact our team to explore CompTIA competency certificates and certifications for your learners.