Esports arena provides new avenues for learning

Duquesne City School District is igniting the interest of middle school students with a new esports arena. The new facility at Duquesne K-8 School will provide an opportunity for students to learn skills in coding, math and gaming and explore careers, according to a WTAE article. The district hopes to create an after-school club where students can come to the arena to compete in contests involving game design and coding. The arena was funded by Robert Morris, the Readiness Institute at Penn State and the Heinz Endowments.

“We’re providing opportunities beyond the athletic field or the basketball court or the volleyball court, to tap into all kids’ strengths and their interests, and I think that’s been the most important,” Superintendent Sue Mariani said in the article. “We’re looking at the whole child, and every child, not just the athlete.”