Start Your Own Pokémon Club!
Level Up Your After-School Programming
The International Society for Transforming Education has partnered with The Pokémon Company International to bring Pokémon Clubs to K-12 schools across the US and Canada as a new member benefit. Learn more about how to bring your school community together and create opportunities to grow and play!
Through this partnership, ISTE will provide eligible ISTE+ASCD members with a Pokémon Club Kit and wraparound digital and physical support materials to run high-engagement after-school Pokémon Clubs in their school communities. These kits include materials, resources, scaffolded activities, and prizing for children ages 5 to 18 who participate in the program.
Click the Pokémon Club Application button below to get started!
Requirements for participation in the Pokémon Club program through ISTE:
- A current ISTE+ASCD membership in any of the available membership tiers.
- The ISTE+ASCD member applying to start the club must currently be employed at a K-12 school in the US or its territories, at a US military school, or in Canada as school district staff.*
*Please note that school librarians should apply to start their club through the American Library Association’s Pokémon Club program. More information here.
If you are a parent/guardian or school volunteer, please work with an eligible educator at your child’s school to facilitate a Pokémon Club application.
Ready to apply?
You must be logged in to your ISTE+ASCD member account to access the application linked below. For the best experience, ensure you are currently logged in before accessing the application.
Not a member yet? Click the Become a Member button below to join today!
Pokémon Club is a structured program within the Play! Pokémon ecosystem, where club members build strategic thinking and social‑emotional skills through hands‑on activities such as learning to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), deck‑building, puzzles, and more!
Educators running a Pokémon Club receive a ready‑to‑use starter kit filled with activity and prizing materials, plus wraparound support that includes an online community, digital tools, and exclusive Club Coordinator resources.
The goal of the Pokémon Club program is to create inclusive spaces where kids can connect and thrive through the joy of Pokémon. Pokémon Clubs are not intended to be competitive—they are spaces for casual play and learning. Clubs are inclusive and welcoming to all young players, regardless of their skill level or familiarity with Pokémon.
You don’t need to be an expert on Pokémon to start a Pokémon Club in your community! As an educator, you already know that play-based learning is a powerful engagement tool when delivering programs for children and youth. Once approved as a Pokémon Club Coordinator, you will have access to a wide variety of resources to help you run your Pokémon Club and ensure its programming responds to the interests of your community.
Club Coordinator supports include materials such as training documents, Club Session examples, and additional resources to help you plan Pokémon Club Sessions.
The structured and research-informed Pokémon Club program helps students build essential strategic thinking and social-emotional skills. Through activities like deck-building, puzzle-solving, and collaborative gameplay, students practice:
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Confidence and peer connection
• Communication, teamwork, and empathy
Pokémon Clubs offer a fun way for students to connect around a shared interest. They create a welcoming environment where students can build friendships, express themselves, and engage more deeply in their school community. They also align with many schools’ goals of encouraging less screen time and more meaningful, face-to-face interaction.
The current Pokémon Club program is designed for children and youth ages 5 to 18, but there is not a designated age range for the program as a whole.
We ask that your club meets consistently and at least once per month during the school year. Club Coordinators will be asked to submit a brief, 3- to 5-minute Session Report after every Club Session. In addition to the required session reporting, Club Coordinators may receive other surveys from the program with opportunities to provide more in-depth feedback about their Pokémon Club experience.
The Pokémon Club program is made possible thanks to partnerships between select membership and youth-serving organizations and The Pokémon Company International. To enroll, the K-12 educator applying to the program must have an active ISTE+ASCD membership and currently be employed at a K-12 school as school district staff.
Participating clubs must also commit to hosting a Pokémon Club Session a minimum of once per month and submit a 3- to 5-minute Session Report form after each Club Session to maintain their good standing in the program and eligibility to receive refreshed kit materials for their club.
Yes, if you are eligible and willing to commit to the requirements for this program, you can apply to participate. All participants must have an active ISTE+ASCD membership, commit to hosting a Pokémon Club once per month at a minimum, and submit the required regular reporting.
The current program is available only to school district staff* in the United States and its territories, US military schools, and Canada.
*Please note that school librarians should apply to start their club through the American Library Association’s Pokémon Club program. More information here.
Yes, any eligible school district staff member can be a Club Coordinator and the person responsible for the Pokémon Club at your school site.
If you meet all the requirements to host a Pokémon Club at your school, start by filling out an application here: https://my.iste-ascd.org/s/pokemon-club-application. Upon acceptance into the program, you will receive notification of your acceptance and access to Pokémon Club materials and resources.
Program staff will review your application to confirm eligibility. Once approved, you will receive a Pokémon Club Kit with Learn to Play activities, decorations, prizing support, and more, as well as digital resources including instructions, definitions, and activity materials to help you run your club.
That depends on your school’s specific policies and practices regarding after-school programs. Click here to download a draft letter template for obtaining authorization from your school administrators to start a Pokémon Club.