MGA’s next generation of business: Middle Georgia State University offering free classes this fall

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. – Middle Georgia State University continues to offer free classes to the Warner Robins community.

The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship teamed up with the city of Warner Robins to help local businesses owners and to support Robins Air Force Base.

According to Associate Provost and Director James Blackburn, the university offers business and innovation classes, teaching topics such as creating a business plan to personal data protection and artificial intelligence.

“Technological innovation is a growing importance in the region and in the country. What we want to be able to do is to help communities by taking what we have in the university and sharing that information into the community, so that what happens is we’re providing additional education and resources,” said Blackburn.

Blackburn added that the classes aren’t specifically for business and innovation. Students from different majors can also participate in innovation.

Blackburn said the center will offer a three-part story telling class once a month from Aug. to Oct. The first part will start on Aug.15, the second class will be on Sept. 5 and the third and final part Oct.3.

The classes will teach attendees the concepts of storytelling, how to analyze and tell stories through data and how they create a narrative. According to the university’s website, it is not required to attend every class, but it would be helpful.

Blackburn said the university offers a blog on their website which will help professors communicate with those interested in attending. He said in their blog they will talk about a lot of topics, such as social responsibility, hoping it will open up innovation to a broader audience.

Blackburn also hopes this will encourage real-world problems back into the classroom. He said he wants students to be able to work on the problems and help the community.

“We see this as a win-win opportunity for middle Georgia and students because now we’re able to take a real problem a real company is trying to solve, bring it into a classroom and let students use their creativity and their knowledge to come up with a solution that might have never been thought of before,” said Blackburn.

Students who attend these classes will not only be helping their community but also building their resumes and experience. Blackburn said students will be leaving the college with a new set of skills that will help them in the workplace.

The center has workspaces where students can have innovation meetings. Blackburn said his goal is to have upcoming lectures in the workspace.

Blackburn said the classes will add another dimension to their education and help them become more competitive in the workplace. He added that whenever he teaches a class, he likes to teach them knowledge, skills and experience and he believes the classes will enhance those skills even more.

“We want to be good community partners. We recognize that the wellbeing of the community is the wellbeing of our students and their families and in turn the wellbeing of middle Georgia. We take it as a service obligation to our community to make sure we’re doing our part to make the middle Georgia region a great place to live,” said Blackburn.

The classes will take place on the Warner Robins campus in the Walker Auditorium. The classes will take place on Aug. 15, Sept. 5 and Oct. 3. For more information and to see the center’s blog visit https://www.mga.edu/center-innovation-entrepeneurship/index.php.

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