Founded in 1972, the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center, located at 905 Mt Vernon Ave., provides educational opportunities for the Near East Side and Central Ohio. Credit: William Moody | Lantern File Photo
A year after a million-dollar renovation transformed the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center, the center is fulfilling its promise of creating a new era of future change.
The center was able to create a new library, meeting hall, classrooms and updated technology through funds received by a state appropriation from Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), per prior Lantern reporting.
Scott Keyes, event coordinator at the AAAS-CCEC, who joined the staff shortly after renovations were completed, said he sees the impact day-to-day.?
“People come in that haven’t seen the space since the renovations, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I never knew this was here…we could do this, we could do that.’ It’s pretty cool to see the community come in,” Keyes said.
The center accepts online requests for its spaces on its website, and Keyes is the coordinator between the center and external organizations that seek to use the space. Keyes said that since he joined the center last year, there has already been a large increase in space requests?
Its current programming works with organizations such as the Columbus Urban League, which hosts workshops at the center as part of their AccelerateHer program, which aims to expedite the growth of established small business owners and entrepreneurs, according to its website.
The center also continues to host Accelerate Research Group’s Black Impact Series, which is a community-based intervention study to improve cardiovascular health in African American males by providing free health screenings, according to its website. The series will continue at the community extension center throughout April, Keyes said.
The Black to Basics podcast, first featured in prior Lantern reporting, looks at Ohio State’s Ten Dimensions of Wellness through the lived experiences of the Black community, Director Monica Stigler said.
The project was recently approved for a grant and will embark on a new strategic planning process aimed to be completed by the end of the year, Keyes said.
Another previous project, Ghost Neighborhoods of Columbus, in collaboration with the Ohio State Center for Urban Regional Analysis, looked at mapping old buildings, landmarks and sites within predominantly Black communities that are no longer present due to development efforts, per prior Lantern reporting. Ghost Neighborhoods will be featured in the Poindexter Village African American Museum, which is set to open in 2028, according to its website.
Keyes said the center’s future goals hope to create more long-term community-centered educational programming similar to previous years. Under the direction of former Director Judson Jeffries, the center hosted computer literacy programming for senior citizens and STEM programs for school-aged children, Jeffries said.
“I wouldn’t say it’s just for the community; the students are also included,” Keyes said.?
While most of its programming works with external community organizations, the center encourages students and student organizations to use the space for their own impactful ideas and help bridge the gap between Ohio State and the larger Columbus community, Keyes said.
“If you have something impactful that fits along the lines of what we’re doing, and you need space to host it, you can always reach out to us,” Keyes said.
Students can stay updated on the center’s programming by signing up for its newsletter.
