Georgia Southern Growth Brings New and Future Buildings, Renovations

If you haven’t visited the Georgia Southern campuses in the past few years, chances are they’ll look different.

With funding from the state of Georgia and several historic gifts from devoted supporters, the University has built impressive structures to support academics, athletics and outreach. Some of the buildings are the largest the University has ever built. And more are on the way.

As the writers for Georgia Southern Magazine talk with alumni around the world — some of whom haven’t set foot in Statesboro or Savannah long before the turn of the century — they always ask about the campus. It’s a unifying memory. It’s the “where” that anchors the stories and exploits of their college careers.

For those who can’t get back to campus in the near future, here’s a roundup of the campus changes that are happening right now.

The Armstrong Campus in Savannah

The Junior Achievement Colonial Group Discovery Center

When Georgia Southern University student Hannah Whitehead first walked into the new Junior Achievement (JA) Colonial Group Discovery Center, she was in awe as she took in the sight of a small-scale Savannah community before her.

“When I walked into the space, I was so shocked and inspired by it all, and I stopped to think about what sixth through eighth-graders would do when they walked into that space,” said Whitehead, a senior communications arts student from DeKalb County, Georgia.

JA Discovery Centers blend key components of education to create state-of-the-art learning facilities where middle-school students apply concepts they learn in the classroom in a 360-degree authentic and immersive experience. Upon arrival, these students become part of a simulated version of their hometown within the JA BizTown and JA Finance Park programs.

Micro versions of local storefronts such as Comcast, Amazon, Gulfstream, Publix, Chick-fil-A, Enmarket, Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Power, St. Joseph’s/Candler, South State Bank, United Way of the Coastal Empire, Georgia Southern University and others are set up to resemble the greater-Savannah community.

To bring this space to life, JA renovated the former Armstrong Recreation Center into a 25,000-square-foot interactive environment that resembles Savannah’s Forsyth Park. The center is the first of its kind to be developed on a…