The concept for an after-school video gaming program came about during the Pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Like so many other teachers and parents at the time, we experienced firsthand the harrowing affects social isolation was having on our kids. Through a long series of morning bike rides and breakfast tacos, Chris and I talked about our own struggles as parents with excessive screentime, and the struggles we were having as teachers in engaging our students. We were looking for ways to teach our own kids and our students skills in social learning and development. But to do so in a different way from the typical SEL lessons kids were used in the classroom. On one morning ride in early June, the idea of using video games as a tool for teaching dawned on us.

In the Fall of 2022, we started an afterschool program with the hope of incorporating social emotional learning into something kids already loved to do: play video games!

From humble beginnings working out of a science classroom closet with a few TVs, some Gaming Consules, and a handful of amazing kids, we've managed to create something truely impactful to our community. We now serve hundreds of students each year through afterschool programs, esports teams, game design elective classes, summer camps and community events!