ODU Partners with Newport News Shipbuilding to Deliver STEM Education in Economically-Disadvantaged Community
Old Dominion University opened the Brooks Crossing Innovation and Opportunity Center (BCIOC) this fall. Created in partnership with Newport News Shipbuilding, the City of Newport News, and other community partners, the BOIC will occupy the first floor of their new digital engineering building and offer workforce development alongside STEM education services accessible to citizens, students and businesses across the Hampton Roads area.
There are two sides of the Center. One side is for children through grade 12, and offers a hands-on lab focusing on design and fabrication technology that is the first of its kind in Virginia. The workshop-like space has items such as 3-D printers and virtual reality headsets, tools for woodworking, and a fully stocked professional recording studio that's big enough for a six-piece band. Shipyard employees have also been encouraged to check out the lab to learn skills relevant to their ongoing professional development.
The opportunity side offers classroom and meeting space for community organizations such as Summer Training and Enrichment Program, Hampton Roads Community Action Program and the Goodwill Community Employment Center. Centura College is on site as well, showcasing workforce development programs in various fields. "This brings a lot of resources together in one place," said Steve Brown, director of Hampton Roads Community Action Program (HRCAP).
Strome's contribution began in the early phases of the project. Jennifer Boykin, then Vice President and now President of Newport News Shipbuilding, asked Dean Tanner to spearhead ODU's involvement. "Having worked with at-risk youth in that community in my work prior to joining ODU, I knew this was the kind of opportunity that could really make a difference," Tanner shared. President Broderick quickly agreed, and Kyllie Bullion was tasked with developing the funding and collaborative partnerships needed to make BCIOC viable. Broderick also saw the need to align the Center with VMASC's Digital Shipbuilding initiative and the pieces started to align.
"It's heartwarming to see the community stream into the facility, whether its children making puzzles with the 3-D printers, school groups engaging in hands-on software training with Siemens PLM product suites, or teens solving community problems," says Bullion. Spaces like this center are so powerful because they foster unique connections and expereinces. Indeed, Strome's Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Dr. Connie Merriman, and Strome benefactor Marsha Hudgins judged a community problem-solving competition involving high school students from Newport News schools just last weekend.
Not only will the Center serve community needs for education and workforce development, it will also serve as a STEM education research lab. Faculty will have the opportunity to develop and test learning programs such as those created by Dr. Wu He in the Strome College, and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
A model for centers of this type, Brooks Crossing Innovation and Opportunity Center is an important community asset, and another example of how Strome invests in the local community in order to accelerate success.
