The Book of Illumination
Each center will have one to two recycled shipping containers that are retrofitted with computer work stations and networked to the New Orleans Public Library. Library staff will monitor each center and guide students to use various educational software for resume building, job search, homework assistance and general research.
A space of learning for the youth of New Orleans.
Illumination Centers (IC) are a project of the Youth Rescue Initiative (YRI), the New Orleans Public Library Foundation (NOPLF), and the New Orleans Public Library System (NOPLS).
The goal of the Illumination Center Project is to bridge the digital divide that prevents many in low income neighborhoods from taking full advantage of the offerings of modern technology and to provide structured educational programming through the NOPLS.
Each center will have one to two recycled shipping containers that are retrofitted with computer work stations and networked to the New Orleans Public Library. Library staff will monitor each center and guide students to use various educational software for resume building, job search, homework assistance and general research.
The area around each center will be landscaped as a partially shaded park for use by neighborhood residents as well as students.
illumination center, learning labs for youth, new orleans, la
Illumination Center, New Orleans
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.