Construction crews still have some work to do, but classes are set to begin this fall at the new Buffalo Center For Arts and Technology. Located at the Artspace Buffalo Lofts on Main Street, not far from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the Center will serve at-risk urban high school students and provide training programs for adults.
More than two and a half years after plans were announced the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology is scheduled to open in October.
It's modeled after the highly successful Manchester Bidwell Corporation in Pittsburgh - founded by Bill Strickland.
"Strickland will tell you, he said, 'I deal with the kids that no one else wants to deal with.' And clearly that's the population we'll be dealing with. A very difficult population. But a population that once you give them a little bit of hope...they have clearly responded quickly and significantly," said Robert Gioia, president of the John R. Oishei Foundation.
The Oishei Foundation, along with First Niagara, Empire State Development, and the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo committed more than $4-million to get the center up and running.
Gioia said several other centers across the nation following Strickland's model have graduation rates of 80-to 90-percent.
After school arts programs will be provided to about 65-students a year according to Center Director Amber Dixon.
Dixon said adults will offered training in medical coding - or pharmacy technician.
"We're going to offer a 9-month training program on a scholarship basis - at the end of which they're going to have in depth knowledge of the curriculum that our partners at Kaleida, at Roswell, at the Catholic Health System, at ECMC have worked with us on. So we're trying to create the workers that will be the future employees of the medical corridor," said Dixon.
Dixon noted about 30-adults are already working with literacy volunteers to prepare for the program. She said participating Buffalo high school students will be identified in September.