The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (“DMPED”) is continuing to lead efforts to promote the innovation economy and bring it to life across the City with the recent transformation of the St. Elizabeths East chapel into a Demonstration Center!! The “R.I.S.E.” Demonstration Center will bridge the gap between the innovation field and local community until the development of a permanent Innovation Hub space is possible. The purpose of the Demonstration Center is to build interest in the campus redevelopment by immediately drawing the surrounding community into the campus, foster bonds with residents and the Innovation Hub efforts. The utilization of the chapel presents a unique opportunity to jump start the Innovation Hub efforts.
FEATURES. The Demonstration Center is designed as a technologically superior, flexible space that features:
- A Digital Inclusion Center that is a well-programmed, state-of-the-art computer lab featuring a wide range of computer training, a wide spectrum of classes for seniors to small business support programs. The Digital Inclusion Center will be constructed in partnership with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (“OCTO”);
- Flexible designed demonstration(s), entrepreneurship and career conference areas designed to host a variety of programs, from entrepreneurship and tech training seminars;
- Smaller class room areas designed to host job training and placement services that help prepare potential employees for jobs and career-path opportunities located on campus.
ForWARD 8 funding was used to create a “Digital Inclusion Center” as a key part of the Demonstration Center. The Digital Inclusion Center furthers the Mayoral-led, city-wide strategy to promote the District’s overall technology initiative and allow residents of East Washington to begin to participate more integrally in the District’s technology movement. The Digital Inclusion Center will support key ForWARD 8 goals, which seek to:
- Ensure that training opportunities are aligned with business/employment needs;
- Develop an outreach plan to create awareness of the program(s) and to recruit candidates; and
- Teach more technical skills that can potentially lead to higher-paying jobs.
The Center serves as a multi-purpose destination and a portal for the community providing opportunities not only in programs tangibly connected to the technology economy, but also as a means to educate and engage the community.