Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google


New Orleans STEM District to Combine Education Center and Innovation Hub with Entertainment Facilities

A new development project in the eastern section of New Orleans aims to expand science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education for children and adults from under-resourced communities. Created by STEM NOLA, an affiliate of STEM-focused nonprofit STEM Global Action (SGA), the STEM District will include a STEM education center and STEM Innovation hub along with a hotel, water park, amusement park, sports complex and a warehouse and distribution center.

Taking over an abandoned 227-acre site formerly occupied by Six Flags and Jazzland, the project will offer opportunities for students to "learn practical applications of STEM from the different components of the development," according to a news announcement. "Think of this as an exciting STEM laboratory," explained Calvin Mackie, founder of STEM NOLA and SGA, in a statement. "We will be teaching students how science technology, engineering and math have major roles in the operation of the hotel, the amusement park, the water park, sports complex and everything from warehousing and logistics to robotics."

In addition, a STEM Innovation hub in development nearby will focus on job skills, entrepreneurship and industry partnerships. "We are creating a STEM district, the most expansive effort in America to bring STEM education to Black and Brown children and adults," said Mackie. "We want to prepare people from disadvantaged communities for quality STEM careers, jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities. Our goal is to create a destination for STEM innovation, entrepreneurship and workforce development."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • large group of college students sitting on an academic quad

    Student Readiness: Learning to Learn

    Melissa Loble, Instructure's chief academic officer, recommends a focus on 'readiness' as a broader concept as we try to understand how to build meaningful education experiences that can form a bridge from the university to the workplace. Here, we ask Loble what readiness is and how to offer students the ability to 'learn to learn'.

  • Abstract futuristic background with blurry glowing wave and neon lines

    Microsoft Intros 'Cowork' Feature for Copilot, AI Updates

    Microsoft has announced a trio of AI updates, spanning Microsoft 365 Copilot, Security Copilot and Microsoft Foundry.

  • Abstract speed motion blur in vibrant colors

    3 Ed Tech Shifts that Will Define 2026

    The digital learning landscape is entering a new phase defined by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, rising expectations for the student experience, and increasing pressure to demonstrate quality and accountability in online education.

  • glowing crystal ball with network connections

    Tech Outlook 2026: What Higher Ed Tech Leaders Expect this Year

    We asked higher education technology leaders for their predictions on how the tech landscape will change for colleges and universities in the coming year. Here's what they told us.