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Winooski, Vermont - October 21, 2008
It began as a woolen mill in the 1800s, then became retail space, and now the historic Champlain Mill in Winooski enters a new era.
The Champlain Mill now houses the Emergent Media Center. It's a high-tech education facility run by Champlain College, teaching students a variety of gaming technologies.
The program outgrew its space on Champlain's main campus in Burlington. Two years ago, two students participated. Now, up to a hundred do.
"They want to be on the cutting edge and creating what's new and not necessarily interested in what's been done already," EMC Director Ann DeMarle said.
Champlain College says the EMC is uniquely positioned to help students, like Kate Baxter, who plans a career in electronic gaming.
Winooski's Champlain Mill is located between Boston and Montreal, two hotbeds in the e-gaming industry.
"As soon as I learned to program I was like this is what I want to do," said Baxter.
Of the $3.8 billion in exports from Vermont, more than half of that is high tech goods and services. A lot of that, of course, comes from IBM in Essex Junction. State officials hope increasing high-tech training in Vermont will lead to even greater exports and ultimately more jobs.
"These are really good jobs for Vermont," said DeMarle. "It allows us to keep the air clean and our way of life and enjoy the outdoors and allows us to connect over distances and work together with global companies all over the world."
And through the EMC, Baxter is already building a resume by working on real projects for companies and non-profits. She may even have a job lined up.
"This is giving us real world experience while we are still students and we have it under our belts and are ready to go out and start working," she said.
And the students rub elbows with design and software engineering professionals who have already located here.
A historic mill -- gone high-tech.
"I am so excited," said Baxter.
Darren Perron - WCAX News
