Esports and STEM education center opening at Doylestown Y

Metro Esports, an esports lounge and technology-based education center on Street Road in Warminster, has forged a partnership with YMCA of Bucks County to open an Esports gaming lounge at the YMCA’s Doylestown branch.
The partnership will provide YMCA members, county residents and the surrounding community with a welcoming and inclusive outlet to explore gaming, camps and technology geared toward all ages and abilities and all skill levels.
The state-of-the-art gaming lounge is scheduled to open in May and will be Metro’s second Bucks County location. YMCA members and nonmembers will be able to take part in casual gaming tournaments and league play for major esports titles, while using powerful industry-leading gaming PCs, virtual reality units and simulated racing consoles.
Young people will also have a chance to participate in programs including esports bootcamps and “Train with the Pros” programs, featuring members of the Metro Esports professional Valorant team.
In addition, YMCA of Bucks County’s Metro Gaming Lounge facility will be a center for STEM and esports education for young gamers interested in building, programming and designing the games that they like to play. There will be opportunities for students to acquire hands-on industry experience in Metro’s college internship program.
Metro Esports and the Y will also offer summer “Metro Madness” camps and weekend gaming camps for kids and teens. The YMCA also plans to make its Metro Esports gaming lounge available to rent for special events.

“In our modern era, kids are provided tools at a much younger age to set them on the path to a career,” said Zach Archer, director of events, Metro Esports. “Today, we leverage the viral popularity of gaming to strengthen our pipeline of young minds into the ever-expanding tech workforce. In addition to helping matriculate kids into promising technology-driven career opportunities, Metro Esports aims to continue cultivating a safe and inclusive gaming space.”
In addition to providing esports programs, Metro Esports plans to work with YMCA of Bucks County to implement the use of virtual reality for physical health training. The YMCA plans to incorporate gaming elements into some of its existing health training programs, with the goal of educating the community about the health benefits of certain types of gaming experiences.
“We are thrilled to partner with Metro Esports to provide a state-of-the-art gaming and technology learning experience through year-round programs and summer camps,” said Trish Feinthel, chief operations officer, YMCA of Bucks County.
The partnership between Metro Esports and YMCA of Bucks County is a part of Metro’s broader mission to bring tech and STEM education to the youth of Bucks County.
Metro Esports recently launched a partnership with Central Bucks School District to facilitate esports leagues for the district’s more than 18,000 students at all age levels.

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