AURORA | The City of Aurora is opening two new esports hubs this week, betting that free access to competitive video gaming can not only entertain, it can help prepare young people for careers in science, technology, engineering and math while narrowing long-standing equity gaps.
The hubs are opening at the city’s Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place, and at the Southeast Recreation Center, 25400 E. Alexander Drive.
The Central site opened yesterday. The Southeast center will offer a grand opening today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Today’s event will feature food, giveaways, prizes and video game-themed activities, along with photo and autograph opportunities with Miles, the Denver Broncos mascot. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a vocal supporter of esports programs statewide, appeared at the Central opening.
Each esports hub includes 10 professional gaming computers, a PlayStation 5 and a Nintendo Switch. The hubs are standard center amenities, available with a recreation center membership, a $5 drop-in fee or at no cost through We Are Aurora Youth, a city program that provides free recreation center access to teens ages 13 to 17 during school breaks.
City officials and educators across the country say the investment reflects a broader push to harness students’ enthusiasm for esports, which are organized, multiplayer competitive video games that can build skills that translate directly to high-demand STEM careers.
National research suggests that access matters. Young video game players are racially diverse. A 2015 Pew Research Center study found Black teens are slightly more likely than their peers to play video games, with white and Hispanic teens playing at similar rates, according to Associated Press reports. That diversity has not carried over into the STEM workforce. Pew reported last year that Black and Hispanic workers make up just 9% and 8% of STEM employees in the United States, respectively.
Advocates say esports programs can help close that gap by developing skills gamers acquire naturally, including advanced typing, data analysis and strategic thinking. Competitive players, proponents say, learn to process information quickly and analytically, often thinking in frames per second.
Academic research backs the idea of esports as a path to jobs for students who come from poorer families. A University of California, Irvine study of a collaborative program with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation found that school-affiliated esports clubs increased students’ interest in math and science and benefited low-income schools the most.
Grace Collins, a Cleveland-area teacher who launched the nation’s first all-girls varsity esports high school team in 2018, said creating inclusive spaces is essential. “Representation and a welcoming environment are crucial to building diversity in both esports and STEM,” she said.
Cost remains a barrier for many families. Access to gaming consoles and high-powered computers varies widely by household income, and the Federal Reserve reported in 2021 that average Black and Hispanic households earn about half as much as white households. Although surveys show growth in the number of game developers of color, white men remain overrepresented in the gaming industry.