Page 60 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2021

THE SECTION
by at
Aaron Jones Family
Interactive Center
story by Susan Ruddiman photos by Teddy Lewis and Debbie Anglin
The Aaron Jones Family Interactive Center
(FIC) in Pascagoula has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic like many educational facilities throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The temporary slowdown, however, doesn’t mean the center has sat idle.
Dr. Wayne Rodol ch, superintendent of the Pascagoula Gautier School District, and Kelli McCorkle, FIC director, have been busy updating several aspects of the center. In mid-January, it reopened with some fresh o erings that
tie in with the direction the Mississippi Department of Education is taking.
“We are in a transitional change in the state,” Rodol ch said.
When the FIC opened its doors almost 12 years ago, it was o ered as a learning play center for children.
“Now the emphasis is on a wide variety of career pathways to the children who come here,” he said. “It is learn-by-play introductions for them.”
Pre-school aged children start learning about STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – by immersing themselves in the themed rooms throughout the FIC. These hands-on activities are in rooms with a
pirate ship, wetlands with pontoon boats, ight aviation simulation, a planetarium with laser light show, Wii
and X-Box sports software, vintage video games, iMac computers, building blocks and a u-build-it center, an animal rescue clinic and a town complete with a bank, re station and grocery store. A playground and putt-putt golf o er outdoor fun in the courtyard, and the gymnasium has a stage with professional lighting for concerts, dramas, other productions and meetings.
During the FIC’s temporary shutdown, McCorkle said they got to work updating the STEM room with a fresh coat of paint and additional furnishings.
“While it had appealed to the older students who came during Super Saturdays, now it appeals to the younger children and lets them look at opportunities related to STEM,” she said.
For example, McCorkle partnered with Jerry Lee’s to update the grocery store. The putt-putt golf course was redone. The Early Beginnings room was repainted to better appeal to parents who are invited to learn
about their child’s kindergarten readiness, developmental milestones and use the bilingual library. Under the umbrella of Early
60 | April 2021 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
kids
LearnPLAY