Ryan Vartoogian, president of Spartan Internet Consulting, recently joined several community leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking at the $2 million renovation of the Holmes Street School on Lansing’s Eastside.
The long anticipated project is a complete overhaul of the old building, which will be turned into a technology and educational hub in September.
When the building’s finished, Spartan Internet Consulting will occupy the third floor, software security technology company Aegis Bleu will occupy the second and the Information Technology Empowerment Center (ITEC) will move into the first.
The ITEC is a nonprofit organization that offers hand-on activities designed to engage kids in math and science.
ITEC plans on offering digital media, robotics and other technology courses at the school in the winter. ITEC has been offering these classes since 2007, but since it hasn’t had a headquarters, has been operating from a variety of different locations. ITEC will also offer homework help to neighborhood kids.
“This is a way of grounding ITEC in the neighborhood,” says Kirk Riley, executive director of ITEC. “We don’t want residents or kids in the neighborhood to see ITEC as a place where people do science and technology and they have nothing to do with it. We want them to see it as relevant to their lives.”
Capital Area Michigan Works! summer Youth to Work Program will allow eight local students interested in construction to help with the demolition and rehabilitation of the building.
“This is a nice tie in with what it will ultimately be,” says Vartoogian. “With the ITEC, this will be a place of learning. Even during construction.”
Source: Ryan Vartoogian, Spartan Internet Consulting
Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie
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