STEM Education

PA District Opens Middle School eSports Arena

• By David Nagel
• 09/13/22

Duquesne City School District in Pennsylvania has formally opened an eSports arena on its K–8 campus in the Pittsburgh area. The space, designed for use by middle schoolers, will also double as a computer science/makerspace lab.

According to the school, the arena, previously a school board meeting room, will be available to students who sign up for an elective computer science course, as well as an after school gaming club.

The space houses several Xbox gaming systems, displays, gaming chairs and other gear. Images can be seen in a tweet from the district below.

Official launch of our Esports Arena. Such exciting times to be a Duke. @DukeCitySD @DukesSupINT @CelesteRudge @DukesTechDir @ashli_detweiler @glittle_dukes05 @principal_harp @BstowellActor pic.twitter.com/mRFEh8jzie

— Dr. Schmidt (@DukeELAcoach) August 25, 2022

According to local reporting, funding for the arena "came from Robert Morris University, the Penn State Readiness Institute and the Heinz Endowments, as well as from the district’s federal COVID-19 relief funding."

The school, like so many in the Pittsburgh area, is heavily geared toward STEM and STEAM education. Pittsburgh has one of the highest densities of makerspaces and fablabs in the nation. (See partial map of makerspaces below. A partial list of Pittsburgh-area fablabs can be found here.)

Duquesne itself, aside from the new eSports arena/computer science lab, has five distinct makerspaces, is part of the First Lego League, and offers a STEM/STEAM-focused curriculum for its students.