The Inspiration Center is a family and youth center that opened up on Jan. 19 in North Baton Rouge by the Louisiana Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation. 

The $10 million center is a space built for the local young people in the community but building the center was not something that came easy. 

Clay Young, LECJF Chairman, explains one of the biggest challeneges that face when it came to the center. 

“The biggest issue was having to raise the money. This is about a ten million dollar facility and this concept is completely brand new to the gulf south”, Young said. “Helping people understand the vision, helping people understand the why was the biggest opportunity for us to overcome, I don’t really see it as a challenge”.

The center consists of some major spaces such as a classroom, basketball gym, gaming areas, and even a recording and podcast studio.

The mission does not end there, it goes beyond recreation .

Many children need neighborhood spaces like this one to provide a sense of safety. The facility aims to protect kids. 

Devin Page Jr was a 3-year-old boy shot and killed by a stray bullet in 2022. Now there is a classroom at the Inspiration Center dedicated in his honor and for kids to enjoy their own sanctuary. 

One of the big goals is to ensure that the future of Baton Rouge’s youth is not defined by mistakes or violence but by opportunity. 

“All the men and women who worked behind the scenes to make this happen. All the organizations and agencies that gave money to make this happen, did it all to bring an idea to life to give them an opportunity to be the best version of themselves” Young said. 

If you would like your child to be a part of the community at the Inspiration Center, you can visit the center at Howell Park or check out the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Louisiana website.