Gulfshore Playhouse, Champions For Learning creating future innovators

Gulfshore Playhouse, Champions For Learning creating future innovators

This article originally ran in Florida Weekly on June 6, 2024.

Gulfshore Playhouse welcomed Champions For Learning students recently to the construction of the new theater, the Baker Theatre and Education Center, offering them insight into the various technical career paths directly involved with building projects. What began as an instructional lab session at Champions For Learning, where students were introduced to different job opportunities available in the construction industry, quickly turned into a hands-on experience outside of the learning lab thanks to the help and involvement of Rich Housh.

Rich Housh, an energy, HVAC, and automation expert, has been a dedicated patron of Gulfshore Playhouse alongside his wife, Jenny, who has served on the Board of Directors since 2011. Together, they made a substantial gift to the capital campaign supporting the construction of the new theater, naming the Housh Main Entryway and the exterior staircase leading up to the new building. Rich is also actively involved with Champions For Learning. After speaking to students in Champions For Learning student programs about the different technologies utilized during a new building project and the jobs available in Southwest Florida in the construction industry, he took his lesson a step further. He set up a tour for students to see these technologies in person.

“This was a perfect display of partnering between two prominent Naples based nonprofits, Champions For Learning and Gulfshore Playhouse. Both of these great organizations are focused on educating the youth of Collier County and beyond,” said Rich Housh, owner of Smarter Building Solutions. “Students from Champions For Learning who are interested in pursuing careers in architecture, construction, and the skilled trades, in general, were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the soon-to-be-completed Gulfshore Playhouse. Bravo to all!”

Gulfshore Playhouse’s new state-of-the-art Baker Theatre and Education Center is currently under construction and slated to open in October 2024. Located at the corner of Goodlette-Frank Road and 1st Avenue South, the facility will house a 350-seat mainstage theater, a 125-seat studio space, and numerous events, rehearsal, and educational spaces. The more than 40,000-square-foot space will be a hub for professional theater, education, and community engagement. During the tour, students learned and saw how this professional theater would use sound and lighting technologies like Broadway theaters do. Visiting this state-of-the-art facility allowed students to gain a first-hand educational experience about the construction field’s intricate and often unnoticed details.

“By inviting students from Champions For Learning to tour our construction site, we had the opportunity to expose them to a variety of careers in the construction industry,” said Kristen Coury, the founder, CEO and producing artistic director of Gulfshore Playhouse. “I hope we’ve inspired the next generation of builders, engineers, and innovators, but also hope this experience ignites in them a passion for dreaming big.”

Champions For Learning and Gulfshore Playhouse both share a passion for education and equipping future generations with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in the workforce.

“Touring this building excites me about continuing to pursue my passion for architecture and design even more,” said Megan M., Champions For Learning student. “The complex process of bringing this whole theater to life is very cool to me since I’ve never thought about how a building comes together and all the construction work that goes into it. I was amazed.”