For the past year and a half, my office has been working on one of the most exciting projects that has hit my drawing board in 20 years. Conceived by the Youth Rescue Initiative, an organization with a five year track record of helping improve lives of at-risk youth in New Orleans, this project, the Illumination Center, will have an immediate and transformative impact on the lives and future of many school-aged children in New Orleans and potentially beyond.

Early on, the YRI observed that literacy amongst at-risk youth is low and in need of improvement. At the same time, they saw the need to bridge the urban “digital divide” that precludes these youth from accessing the Internet as a tool for learning, exploring, and contributing.

Their solution is visionary while being straightforward: create safe zones in every neighboorhood in need and install in them centers where children can access the internet and learn how to navigate and utilize the essential tools for success in the 21st century.