Fresno Unified middle school students will face off in the 19th annual Tournament of Technology with newfound style, competing at the district’s first-of-its-kind Technology Arena.

“It’s all about technology. But at the same time, we really want students to learn soft skills, such as collaborations, empathy — all those things,” said Saori Jansen, Fresno Unified IT coordinator.

The district is stepping into the digital age, looking to connect with students’ modern-day technological interests. These extra-curriculars help inspire student confidence and boost morale, and are an incentive to attend school.

Approximately 260 students will fill the arena on Saturday, competing in a diverse range of technology-based events. The 16 events, all requiring a team effort, surround this year’s theme: Spider-Man.

“This unique competition gives our middle school students an exciting opportunity to showcase their technology skills while celebrating friendly competition and school spirit,” said Superintendent Misty Her. “And for the first time, our students will be competing in the new Technology Arena, creating an even more electric environment.”

Fresno Unified says it is engaging students through technology to help develop collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity skills.

Tournament of Technology Builds Student Skills and Confidence

Students will show off their talents in robotics, drones, coding, video production, and design — building foundational skills and lifelong confidence.

“(We are) hoping that would give them confidence. That technology is nothing that I’m afraid of, or coding is something that I have no idea,” said Jansen. “(They) can build knowledge on top of it, or career out of that. So that’s our hope.”

The students have been preparing for months, producing announcements and “blockbuster” trailers, using VEX IQ Robot Kits to build machines that can navigate mazes and battle one another, and learning piloting and navigation skills with drones.

This is a chance for students, many of whom are not athletic, to represent their schools, Jansen said. This can foster school pride and improve student engagement.

The competition is broken up into two portions: a design document/ research paper, and exhibition. At the event, students will fulfill the second portion, showing off their ideas and hard work.

The district has lined up 50 judges from across the community to determine the top competitors, Jansen said.

The events include “crowd favorites,” such as drone obstacle course and BattleBots, a duel between robots attempting to pop the other’s balloon.

Alongside these, new events have been added, keeping pace with the ever-advancing technology. Cyberbrick, an event using 3D printing, is one of them.

The event, located at Tehipite Middle School, will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday with the awards ceremony beginning at 1 p.m.

Fresno Unified’s New Technology Arena

Fresno Unified transformed an old woodshop nestled deep within Tehipite into a state-of-the-art esports center.

The 7,000-square-foot building holds a 5,000-square-foot arena and support rooms, measuring up with some collegiate esports arenas.

Related Story: Fresno Unified Opens First-of-Its-Kind Esports Arena at Middle School

The arena project was developed over five years and funded by $3.9 million provided through Measure M, a local bond passed in 2020. The arena opened in September 2025.

During the tournament, the center will host the Minecraft game design event. This event requires teams of two to four students to design and program a video game using Microsoft’s Minecraft Education Edition.

“It’s definitely different feelings than the previous years because until last year it was regular classroom, regular laptop, with regular chair,” said Jansen. “I’m sure they feel like professional esports gamers.”