Cox Communications and Super Bowl champion Malcolm Mitchell marked a milestone in digital equity Monday, celebrating the opening of a new Innovation Lab at the Jacobe Turner Teen Center at Boys and Girls Club in Fort Walton Beach, culminating a day dedicated to advancing youth education across Okaloosa County.
The state-of-the-art facility, funded by a $25,000 grant from the James M. Cox Foundation, transformed a space on the second floor into a comprehensive digital studio where teens can explore projects ranging from digital media and blogging to video editing, graphic design, coding, podcasting and animation.
- “The work that you guys do here is fantastic,” said David Deliman, market vice president for Cox, reflecting on the evolution of these spaces that Cox has made over. “I think back in the early days, they were truly just a computer lab. It was a computer, a keyboard, and a printer. To think of having a recording studio and podcasting and gaming – you guys really are preparing kids for what’s out there for the future.”
The lab opening commemorates the 20th anniversary of Cox’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which has established over 110 similar facilities nationwide since 2004. Cox and its foundation have invested more than $25 million in cash and in-kind support to the organization during this period.
Zakina Judd, Club Director for the Jacobe Turner Teen Center, emphasized the lab’s potential impact. “This lab will empower youth to gain practical experiences in technology and digital media, and foster their ability to express themselves,” Judd said. “Whether it’s gaming, construction, poetry, filmmaking, coding, fashion design, or music production, we’ll nurture future leaders who excel in these fields.”
For students like Choctaw High School senior Jadyn Meadows, the lab addresses immediate educational needs. “I’m very grateful for this lab because this year for me, it’s all about applying to college and getting scholarships,” Meadows said. “With this tech lab, I’m able to have access to the internet so that I can get online and search for information.”
- Sam Roberts, IT Director for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, detailed the lab’s thoughtful design. “The concept was to have a multifunction space,” Roberts explained. “You have your audio production room for podcasting, the central part focused on eSports teams, and the back configured like a traditional tech lab for demonstrations and digital training through myfuture.net.”
Mitchell, who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2017, began his day at Baker School in northern Okaloosa County, where he and Cox representatives distributed 11 iPads to selected students after speaking with 1st graders. The group then visited Lewis School in Valparaiso, with Cox contributing $5,000 to the Okaloosa Public School Foundation to support both institutions.
Superintendent Marcus Chambers praised Mitchell’s impact on the district’s students.
“As a former Georgia Bulldog, NFL Super Bowl Champion, and passionate advocate for literacy, he shared an inspiring message about the importance of learning, reading, and striving for excellence,” Chambers said. “We are deeply grateful for his time to engage with our students, encouraging them to embrace education and recognize their potential. His visit left a lasting impression, and we are honored to have welcomed him to our schools.”
As Cox’s Digital Equity Ambassador, Mitchell connects his NFL success with his passion for literacy and digital access. He shared insights from his new children’s book, “A World Within Reach,” which encourages young readers to safely embrace technology to unlock their potential. The book aligns with Cox’s Connect2Compete program, aimed at bridging the digital divide.
- “I remember being a child only wanting to try to be my best and sometimes I was unaware of how exactly to do that,” Mitchell told the audience. “The more you seek knowledge, the more you try to learn, the more you believe in yourself, the closer you will get to living out your dreams, whatever they may be.”
Newly-elected Okaloosa County School Board member Parker Destin highlighted the crucial role of community partnerships as he toured the new Innovation Lab.
“Boys and Girls Club is one of our most important partners with the Okaloosa County School District,” Destin said. “These partnerships ensure that every single one of our students has access to as many good resources as possible so that everyone can have a good opportunity for a bright future.”
Shervin Rassa, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast, put the project in perspective.
“Technology changes every day, and if we don’t afford our young people the advantage of the technology opportunities nowadays, we’re failing them because this is the way the world is right now,” Rassa said. “Our greatest legacy is not money, houses, or cars – it’s how well we prepare young people to be leaders when we’re gone.”
The new Innovation Lab represents Cox’s broader commitment to ensuring universal access to quality internet, whether through home connections, affordability programs like Connect2Compete, or community resources like the Boys & Girls Club facility.
The lab, located at 923 Denton Blvd NW in Fort Walton Beach, serves both middle and high school students at the Jacobe Turner Teen Center, while the Fort Walton Youth Center in the same building provides services for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.
