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

  • blue wooden cubes block texture abstract background

    Gartner Estimates Worldwide IT Spending at $6.31T for 2026

    Gartner recently forecast that worldwide IT spending will total $6.31 trillion in 2026, a 13.5% increase from 2025. Sectors experiencing the largest growth include data center systems, software, and IT services.

  • Neon blue security locks with a single red highlight

    AI Shifts Cybersecurity Focus from Finding Flaws to Fixing Them

    For decades, one of cybersecurity's most difficult challenges has been finding vulnerabilities before attackers do. A growing number of security professionals now say artificial intelligence is changing that equation, shifting the focus from discovering flaws to fixing them quickly enough to prevent exploitation.

  • Jason Palm

    AI, Identity, and Speed: Cybersecurity Priorities for Higher Ed

    Fortinet Security Operations Specialist Jason Palm explains how AI is raising new security challenges for higher education, requiring stronger governance, identity protection, threat detection, automation, and incident readiness.

  • CIS Sandbox Tutor Eli Blouin at Bentley University imagines a future technology learning partner that supports curiosity, critical thinking, feedback, and personalized learning.

    Student Voices: Technology as a Future Learning Partner

    A data analytics and marketing major at Bentley University and a distinguished lecturer at the university explore the future of "technology learning partners" — technologies that participate in the learning process by asking questions and giving feedback, not just information search results.