A groundbreaking ceremony at Culver-Stockton College will celebrate the beginning of construction for a highly anticipated addition to the campus that is at the heart of the college’s educational mission.
CANTON, Mo. — A groundbreaking ceremony at Culver-Stockton College will celebrate the beginning of construction for a highly anticipated addition to the campus that is at the heart of the college’s educational mission.
The IDEA Center, which stands for the Innovation, Design and Experiential Activities Center, will be a place on campus for collaborative problem solving that encourages students to apply knowledge in bold, creative ways. The groundbreaking will take place at noon on Thursday, March 4 on the south side of the Gladys Crown Student Center.
The $1.25 million construction project is part of the Culver-Stockton: Changing Lives! comprehensive campaign that concluded in 2020.
The IDEA Center, originally referred to as the Student Experience Center, will serve as a laboratory and display area for showcasing the college’s experiential learning program, which highlights seven types of experiential learning — creative expression, leadership, simulations, research and innovation, service learning, travel and professional experience. It also will provide resources on experiential teaching and learning for faculty and students.
Innovation and entrepreneurship will be encouraged, along with a mindset to identify and assess the impact that decisions and solutions make on local economies, supply chains, economic markets, production and individuals. Students will learn how to approach decision making in a deliberate and innovative way that creates successful outcomes, provides value to their own work and employers, and promotes growth and understanding.
“Every single year, we bring students from all over the country and all over the world here to ‘the Hill’ to participate in an innovative, problem-solving curriculum,” said Dr. Douglas B. Palmer, Culver-Stockton president. “We build problem solving and active learning right into the work that students are doing every single day. This building in part is going to be dedicated to students working together as part of an active learning community.
“Ultimately, that’s what a liberal arts education is about, and that’s what Culver-Stockton College is about. It’s about bringing students of promise together, working together, working hard and trying to make the world a better place.”
Architectural design for the IDEA Center is by Architechnics of Quincy, Ill.
Joining Palmer to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony will be:
- Larry Gorrell, member of the Board of Trustees;
- Todd Moore with Architechnics of Quincy, Ill.;
- Tony Crane with Architechnics and a member of the Board of Trustees;
- Cheyenne Grissom, president of the Student Government Association and the student representative for the Board of Trustees;
- Melody Schroer, an associate professor of legal studies and the faculty representative for the Board of Trustees;
- Dr. Dell Ann Janney, associate dean of experiential education & external relations;
- Taryn Hutcherson, vice president of the Student Government Association.
The groundbreaking can be viewed live on Culver-Stockton’s Facebook page.
As the Midwest’s premier experiential learning college, Culver-Stockton is committed to helping students develop in ways that provide them with a skillset for future success.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story indicated the groundbreaking ceremony would be held Feb. 11. Inclement weather on that day forced the ceremony to be moved to March 4.
Contact the Marketing & Public Relations Office, at pr@culver.edu or 573-288-6000 ext. 6728 for more information.
NOTE: A number that appears immediately after a person’s name (i.e. Jane Doe ’18) is a reference to the year that person earned their bachelor’s degree from Culver-Stockton.