HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Partnerships can help build a better community for areas that need it the most and partners like Meta and Redstone Federal Credit Union are bringing a much need facility to students in North Huntsville. "It's a culmination of a lot of hard work, a lot of collaborations, said of Huntsville, Weissberg Baptist Church, META and Redstone Federal Credit Union," Patrick Wynn, CEO of the Boy & Girls Club of North Alabama shares. " We serve North Huntsville, but we don't have a flagship place or a club in North Huntsville. We bus kids to our other facilities. So for the Boys and Girls Clubs to have a location, a physical location in North Huntsville I think is going to be transformational for our city."
The Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama (BGCNAL) unveiled its vision for a new facility in North Huntsville at 3911 Pulaski Pike NW in Huntsville. The landmark project will transform the 56,000 sq ft. building of the Old Whitesburg Baptist Church that sits on 14 acres, into a thriving Club environment and Center for Advancement. This new facility, which will serve over one thousand young people (ages 5-18) per year.
“This is more than a building; it’s a symbol of what’s possible when people understand that our future depends on supporting the kids and communities that need it the most," Wynn shares. "There are an estimated 7,000 children that don’t have access to afterschool and prevention programs in North Huntsville. This facility will provide many of them with an opportunity to pursue a future that would not have been possible otherwise.”
Key features of this facility include:
- 1st Class STEM Suite: This state-of-the-art Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math introduces children to a future that they can help create.
- Meta Smart Gym: Sponsored by Meta, this high-tech gym combines physical activity, social interaction, academics, and technology through virtual reality.
- 800-seat auditorium: Capable of hosting Club and community events.
- Specialized classrooms: Designed to support programs like LevelUp Literacy, Driving Academy, and other highly successful BGCNAL initiatives.
- Workforce Development and College & Career Center: Providing opportunities, experiences, and connections that produce a clear plan for the future after high school and beyond.
Katie Comer, Head of Data Center Community Development, North America, said, "Meta is committed to investing in communities by supporting organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs and initiatives like the Smart Gym because we believe that everyone deserves the same opportunity to pursue a great future.”
Meta is also committed to helping build the economic future of the city by helping bring STEM values to the facility. "Supporting STEM education truly sets up Huntsville, Madison County and the state of Alabama for more success and the economic development projects that come here in the future," Comer shares. "We hire local talent. We pride ourselves in really supporting the long-term vitality of the communities where we live and where we work and part of hiring that long term talent is investing early on in STEM education. We want to make sure that when there's a data center a mile from your house, you have the opportunity to work there in the future."
This new facility which is slated to begin renovations in the Fall of 2023, promises to deliver one-of-a-kind experiences and opportunities to a generation of children and teens, marking the beginning of a new future for North Huntsville and North Alabama.