Catapult Creative House opening reception

Hundreds attended the open reception for Catapult Creative House, Southeast Missouri State University's groundbreaking creative arts and industries incubator, at 612 S. Broadway Friday night, May 1, 2015, marking the launch of a commercial learning laboratory where creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship will converge, bringing novel products and services with a sustainable twist and local connection to market in a modern commercial marketplace. Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University, speaking, with members of a collaborative team of faculty members and local businesses, shared the need to educate students for a creative economy that is changing the way people live, work and learn, where they think, invent and innovate. Catapult is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration involving 12 faculty members drawn from eight academic programs from four different colleges and local businesses collaborated to launch this multidisciplinary and experiential learning house. Friday evening showcased the students and practitioners in a variety of creative and innovative disciplines that often work in silos, now housed in the new space designed to bring ideas to life.