Rotarian of the Day, Jennifer Vidrine, presented local Rotarians with representatives of NSU and the Louisiana School for Math, Sciences and the Arts [LSMSA] to inform them about a new project in Natchitoches called Innovation Park. Jill Leo is the Associate Director of Innovation at Northwestern and Dr. Steve Horton is the Executive Director of LSMSA as well as a member of the NSU faculty.
Ms. Leo spoke about the physical facility which will be constructed on a 12-acre site at the corner of U. S. Highways 1 and 6 near both NSU and LSMSA. The building and grounds will be a public-private investment of state, federal and private funding, and will feature the most current sustainable practices in building. They will include a conference center with a catering kitchen, art gallery, meeting rooms, lecture halls and classrooms, all available to the public as well as educational organizations.
Dr. Horton spoke about LSMSA’s plans for expanding students’ curricula by including hands-on instruction and practice for students unfamiliar with tools, construction, and the various trades we need for sustaining and improving our modern way of life. The program recognizes that children need to learn to work with their hands as well as their minds, learning to make things and repair things. Students will learn to actually build things as well as to use computer-assisted design, and to apply engineering and technology principles to making and fabricating things, tools and constructions.
Innovation Park facilities will also be available to members of the public within driving distance of the center. It will have “a small business development center on steroids,” according to Ms. Leo, as well as co-working and entrepreneurial support, career services, office spaces and collaborative spaces as well as meeting rooms available for rent by the day, week or month.
Free workshops on various business, construction and design subjects will be offered to the public as well as NSU and LSMSA. The small business center will help people plan and start their own businesses as well as help those already in business upgrade to the next level. There will also be assistance for the family business to incorporate later generations into the enterprise.
Information about Innovation Park may be found on the NSU website by clicking on the Office of Economic Development.