Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

PA District Opens Middle School eSports Arena

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.

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.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

  • Wisconsin District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The School District of La Crosse in La Crosse, Wis., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff of two existing schools, according to local news. Funding for the school comes from a $53-million referendum approved in 2024.

  • Hawaii Elementary School Breaks Ground on New Classroom Building

    Kealakehe Elementary School in Kailua, Hawaii, recently began construction on a new, $16-million classroom building for its campus, according to a news release. The 13,000-square-foot building will stand two stories and connect the existing upper and lower campuses.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.