Erie 1 BOCES Celebrates Grand Opening of New eSports Arena at Calspan CTE Center

Excitement was in the air at the Calspan Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center as students, staff, component district leaders, and industry partners gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the brand-new Erie 1 BOCES eSports Arena.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the completion of a multi-year vision to create a learning space where education, technology, and innovation intersect. The new arena will serve students from all Erie 1 BOCES component districts, providing opportunities to explore competitive gaming, eSports management, and game development in a professional hands-on setting.

During the event, students from the eSports Management and Game Development program showcased live demonstrations of their work, highlighting everything from game design and event broadcasting to arena operations.

“Through our eSports Management and Game Development program, students are gaining hands-on experience in game design, event production, marketing, broadcasting, and technology,” said Scott Bindemann, Erie 1 BOCES Director of Career and Technical Education. “Now, they’ll have the chance to apply those skills right here in a unique competitive gaming environment.”

Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, Anedda Trautman, reflected on how far the Calspan CTE Center has come.

“We are here today to celebrate the completion of the Calspan CTE Center, a campus of technology and innovation,” Trautman said. “When we opened our doors in 2023, we put Erie 1 BOCES on the map as the first school in New York State to operate in a business park. Erie 1 BOCES has always been a leader in educational innovation, and this school shows that we continue to find ways to push the envelope on education.”

Trautman noted that the Calspan CTE Center now brings together more than 200 students from 23 districts across Erie County. One of those students, Elliott, a second-year eSports Management and Game Development student, shared their personal journey in the program.

“A couple of years ago, if you had asked me what I wanted to do after high school, I really didn’t have a clue,” Elliott said. “But then I learned about the eSports Management and Game Development course at Calspan, and I was immediately interested. From this class, in just one year, I gained an idea of what I wanted to do after high school.”

Plans are in the works for continued collaboration with Erie 1 BOCES 19 component districts, including the first-ever Erie 1 BOCES eSports tournament scheduled for January 12, 2026, which will be an opportunity for local schools and clubs to use the new space.