By Soren Ryan-Jenson and Kali Hernandez Fraire
Originally a project to bridge the gap between Danville locals and Centre’s students through entrepreneurship and community engagement, CentreWorks is currently undergoing a change in leadership. After its inactivity since the spring of 2023, CentreWorks now has a new director, an enthusiastic Danville native. Jennifer Gander wants to create opportunities where the local community and Centre can engage with one another in downtown Danville.
Wanting the space to be used in a meaningful and purposeful way, Dr. Gander views Centreworks as intended for classes, community engagement, and perhaps even student events. Previously, before the change in management, the space had been more open to student use for individual purposes like studying. This has come through a major change, the ending of the 9 am-5 pm open door policy as the space will only be reservable by groups.
Currently, CentreWorks is being used to hold regular faculty meetings and as a place to connect students with Danville community members. In one such case, students majoring in business networked with Danville locals as a part of their senior capstone project. A document shared by Dr. Gander also mentions CentreWorks hosting approximately 300 college and high school students for courses, summer camps, and internships.
Though spaces in CentreWorks are reservable by students through the library, it is unclear whether these reservations will be approved. When asked about student club reservations, Dr. Gander seemed open to student organizations utilizing the space. However, it is unclear what that process will be like and whether the students would be able to reserve the space directly, or with the help of faculty members. Going forward, she hopes the space will be further used by groups for meetings that bring Centre and Danville together.
Dr. Gander is very excited about the potential of CentreWorks, and is “totally open to all these different ideas” from students, wanting “to make sure that whatever CentreWorks does is resonating with students, why Danville high school students are considering Centre and why Centre students want to stay at Centre.”
If you have any ideas that connect the Danville community with Centre, you can contact Dr. Gander via her email at jennifer.gander@centre.edu.