FERRIDAY, La. — State and local officials celebrated the opening of the Delta STEM and A.I. Institute in Ferriday on Monday, launching an initiative they hope will serve as a major economic driver for Concordia Parish.
The institute aims to build students’ knowledge of artificial intelligence, preparing them for the modern workforce and teaching them how to leverage emerging technologies.
State Rep. C. Travis Johnson, who advocated heavily for the project, secured $250,000 in funding for workforce development in the region with the support of State Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews and Gov. Jeff Landry.
“We have to make sure that we don’t lose ourselves in the jobs of the future because the jobs of the past are going to leave,” Johnson said. “So again, we got to prepare for the future. That’s what Delta STEM A.I. Institute is going to do.”
Jackson-Andrews highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to boost rural economies, particularly in the agricultural sector.
“We have the highest amount of agriculture land acreage, and agriculture is the number one industry in our state,” Jackson-Andrews said. “But then where most of everything is grown, it’s not as robust in economics as it should be. This type of training brings us into that part.”
Residents also expressed optimism about the school’s potential impact on the community’s youth.
“It’s programs like the Delta STEM and A.I. Institute that are helping them to learn what they need to do in order to be productive citizens in this age of artificial intelligence,” one Concordia Parish resident said.
The institute’s facility is currently 90% complete, and students have the option to attend classes either in person or online.
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