Saint Edmond’s Academy is excited to announce the construction of The Wagner-Szczerba Engineering, Design & Gaming Experience Arena — EDGE.

Through the generosity of Kathleen Wagner-Szczerba, the EDGE Arena will serve as a dedicated space for students to hone critical STEM-related skills in a hands-on, experiential way. The facility will feature the latest technology, and students will learn coding, design, and engineering, through both core curriculum and cross-curricular opportunities in areas like data analytics, entrepreneurship, and robotics.

The center will also provide students with opportunities to engage with industry professionals in a variety of relevant fields while learning about local STEM-related career options. 

An educator for 35 years and a supporter of Saint Edmond’s, Kathleen Wagner-Szczerba said this about the EDGE arena: “My hope is that this new facility will reveal a new and emerging field, one that gets the students excited about learning, and hopefully inspires the next generation of inventors and innovators.”

“Boys at this age thrive when learning is authentic, inquiry-based, related to their lived experiences, and technology-laden,” said Saint Edmonds’ Principal, Dr. Michael Reichert. “It is our hope that through the creation of the EDGE arena and its programming, students can tap into areas of interest to them, gain exposure to meaningful skills, and find and develop their passion.”

In addition to the STEM-related curriculum, the EDGE arena will also house the Lancers eSports program, this program will provide students with opportunities for competitive gameplay, live streaming, graphic design, and marketing. The addition of the Lancers eSports program adds a new dimension to the Academy’s rich tradition of educating the heart and mind of each of its students. Dr. Michael Reichert ‘98 notes “when I first heard of eSports, I thought it was students simply playing video games, but as I have learned more about this growing industry, I appreciate how it taps into the interests of this age group in particular while providing opportunities for social-emotional learning, innovative instructional experiences such as social media marketing, and collaborative problem-solving in one of the fastest growing industries and emerging curricular pathways.” Dr. Reichert further elaborates that “with numerous high schools in Delaware, and the state as a whole, considering sanctioning competitions, it was a no-brainer that the Academy needs to be a leader in our age group by jumping into the arena.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Kathy for her generosity,” said Domenic Maiorano, Head of School. “Her gift will undoubtedly help ignite our students’ curiosity, spark their creativity, and hopefully, open up a whole new world of options and opportunities.”

 The space will feature a 75” Clever Touch interactive panel to allow for wireless projection, student interactivity, and teacher-guided exploration of design, coding and robotic instruction, 15 MSI Trident-3 gaming computers, a Nintendo Switch, (2) 65” flat panel TVs to allow for student projection of their work and a collaboration pit for ideation and design thinking.

The Academy is actively seeking local and national partners in the fields of robotics, engineering, coding, and design as Saint Edmond’s students are soon to experience a hands-on immersive educational experience in this emerging field of Science. 

The Wagner-Szczerba EDGE Arena is set to be open this Fall at the start of the 2023-24 academic year. Interested individuals and companies should contact Domenic Maiorano ’97, Head of school via email at [email protected] or by calling 302.475.5370.