A program that creates inclusive gaming spaces for young people living with special needs or social isolation is expanding in Wallaceburg.
The Playroom Experiment, which was launched at Wallaceburg District Secondary School earlier this year, will be opening a play space at the Wallaceburg branch of the Chatham-Kent Public Library.
Every project location typically includes a board game library, a Nintendo Switch console, and a brand new pinball machine.
Project organizer and former Wallaceburg resident Mike Primeau said around $500 worth of board games were delivered to the library last week. He added that the program will likely be investing $15,000-$20,000 in the two Wallaceburg locations over the next year.
Primeau said the project emphasizes creating inclusive spaces to support children who need it most.
“The real foundation of the work today centres on data,” he said. “Young people are telling us that by the time they get to Grade 9, they are not nearly as happy with life, they’re not nearly as willing to reach out when they’re struggling with emotional or mental distress.”
The concept for the project was born five years ago in Primeau’s own home through his own experiences with his son Luke, who is Autistic.
While he acknowledges that the gaming room will not solve every issue, Primeau said he is confident that it can have a positive impact on a child’s life.
“If you don’t have opportunity, if you don’t have a sense of belonging around you, how are you going to progress in your life,” he said. “Opportunity can come in its most simplest form [such as] just having a place to play.”
The Playroom Experiment was first introduced at Lambton Central Collegiate & Vocational School in Petrolia last year, with plans to expand further at schools in Dorchester and Sarnia.
