S.E.E.K. Foundation, Inc., with funding from the state of Florida totaling $4,000,000, has announced the launch of the groundbreaking SMART Tech Health Hub project in Opa-Locka. This innovative initiative, the first of its kind in the city, aims to provide residents, children, and families with access to high-quality STEM education, re-entry pathways to the STEM workforce, broadband width, and basic essential health services.
“The partnership with the Miami Foundation’s Digital Equity Collective program has been pivotal in advancing this initiative,” says Founder of SEEK Foundation, Inc., Anike Sakariyawo. “We are looking to provide Opa-Locka community members of all ages access to educational resources and pathways to STEM careers to children and adults, and a space to innovate and follow individual curiosity.”
The Smart Tech Health Hub is looking to fill a void that has long been felt in the community as the City of Opa-Locka has no high school or technical facility. Anticipated to be fully operational by December 2026, the SMART Tech Health Hub will serve as a beacon of opportunity and advancement for the local community, empowering individuals with the tools and resources needed to thrive in today’s technology-driven world. The SMART Tech Health Hub will be a multifaceted building, serving a purpose for each level. For example, the first and second floors are designed for children and staff members of S.E.E.K foundation to conduct everyday operations for educational programs in STEM. This includes a pipeline program that intentionally creates academic access to a specific industry (e.g. USDA – food, agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI) learning deployment and integration, cybersecurity, coding program, robotics, UI/UX Design, etc.).
The third floor will allow children and families to have access to basic health needs, such as annual shots/vaccinations, back to school boosters, telehealth, as additional sites for the community.
“We are looking to partner with local public health entities, county health departments and federally qualified health centers,” says Sakariyawo