On Thursday, December 19, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter was joined by officials from the Calcasieu Parish School Board and Region 5 STEM Center to announce a new partnership with Woodside Energy that will bring a STEM Innovation Lab to the Lake Charles Boston Academy of Learning campus.

 

The STEM Innovation Lab, set to be located in the current library at the Region 5 STEM Center located at the Lake Charles Boston Academy of Learning (1509 Enterprise Blvd.), will feature STEM-specific areas focusing on space and travel, robotics and drone exploration, a STEM Maker Machine area, and innovations and inventing. Flexible spaces and professional development areas for educators will also be included in the STEM Innovation Lab.

 

The $100,000 STEM Innovation Lab is being made possible by a $60,000 donation from Woodside Energy. The remaining cost is being split between the City of Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish School Board.

 

“At Woodside, we’re committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Vanessa Martin, Vice President for Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project.

 

“We are committed to continuing to our contributions in Louisiana and we’re proud to be supporting further STEM education and research in Lake Charles.”

 

The Region 5 STEM Center opened in 2021 and is one of nine regional centers statewide. Since opening, the Center has provided access to STEM-based educational opportunities to more than 30,000 students across Southwest Louisiana. 

 

The addition of the STEM Innovation Lab is one step in transforming the Center into a modern, state-of-the-art STEM facility.

 

“Growth is what we strive for in all we do across the district, and that’s certainly what we are seeing here within the Region 5 STEM Center,” explained Calcasieu Parish School Board Superintendent Dr. Jason Van Metre.“When community partners step in to invest in our students – our future – we all benefit. We are grateful for the continued support from the City of Lake Charles and Woodside Energy in this endeavor.”

 

The Region 5 STEM Center represents a valuable component of early workforce development for the area.

 

“We are proud to announce this partnership today, and the future development of the STEM Innovation Lab,” said Mayor Nic Hunter. “The Region 5 STEM Center is a driving force in developing interest in STEM-based careers, which helps supply our future workforce. By engaging students early we hope to retain talent locally by showing our students that everything and more that they need to be successful can be found right here in Lake Charles. We thank Woodside Energy and Calcasieu Parish Schools for their partnership.”

 

For more information on the Region 5 STEM Center, visit www.cpsb.org/depts/region-5-stem-center/about-us.

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