IQALUIT - There are comfy couches, four projectors, huge televisions and tons of video games.

No, this gamers' paradise cannot be found in someone's living room but it is the new digs for the Gamers' Club at Aqsarniit Middle School.

Sabrina Auksaq tries her hand at a Sonic the Hedgehog video game at the launch of the Gamers' Club at Aqsarniit Middle School. - Emily Ridlington/NNSL photo

"It's really cool and we get to play a lot of video games," said student Nala Kunuk.

A fine multi-tasker, Kunuk talked to Nunavut News/North while she was playing Mario Brothers, zooming around on a race course.

The school set up the club in the middle of the fall and it has proved to be a great success so far.

The goal of the club is to encourage students to come to school so they can learn, but also show them activities at school can be fun as well.

Funding to get the club up and running came from the Brighter Futures Program.

Iqaluit District Education Authority board members Allan Weeks and Janice Seto said they are impressed.

"Anything that can improve students' attendance and reading is wonderful," said Seto.

Students have to read the directions in some of the games and she said this "true to life" practising of reading might be more enticing to students rather than reading from a book.

Across the room, Anthony Pudlat and Rick Wolfe face off against each other in an NHL game on the Wii.

Wolfe lets Andy Nichols try the game, too. After a gruelling first period, Nichols, who is the wellness co-ordinator for the City of Iqaluit, said he thinks it is a great idea to help keep kids interested in school.

"Whatever we can do to get the kids in the schools in the first place, then the teachers can go ahead and keep the kids educated," he said.

Another avid gamer, Joshua Chemko, is working at defeating another game.

Chemko said he usually plays video games at home a couple of times a week when he is not playing outside. This is the first time he has gotten to play them at school.

"It's pretty nice," he said.

Also supportive of the initiative is the RCMP.

Const. Chris O'Reilly said the club can open a lot of doors for the students.

He said it gives the students a chance to interact with their friends outside of the classroom environment. It also helps prevent them from getting into trouble.

"They can use their spare time in a positive way instead of choosing a path that may be negative in the future for them," he said.

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