Dickson, TN

A Renaissance of Learning in Dickson, Tenn.

Descending the steps into the re-created 1830s laboratory, the young visitors take their seats on wooden benches. Flickering gaslights fill the lab with a mysterious glow.

“Have you ever wondered why fire is yellow?” asks the scientist, surrounded by beakers, test tubes, and jars of chemicals. Suddenly, like a sorcerer, he sprinkles coal dust on a flame, stepping back as the powder erupts into sparks.

The fiery show, with an actor portraying renowned British scientist Michael Faraday, is among the captivating science, art, and high-technology experiences found at the Renaissance Center, a world-class community learning complex in Dickson, Tenn. (pop. 11,500).

Motorists passing the chrome and concrete center might think it’s some kind of space-age base camp. And in a way it is. Inside the sunny, art-filled building, students work at their computers or easels, play their violins and other instruments, or scurry off to the CyberSphere—a huge domed theater where audiences enjoy dazzling planetarium and laser light shows.

The center and its programs grew out of the conviction that learning can be fun. “It’s a grand experiment,” explains Doug Jackson, the center’s president. “We believe all children can learn and deserve opportunities to reach their full potential.”

Jackson is the son of one of the three brothers—all physicians—responsible for the complex, which opened in August 1999. The $25 million center was developed by the Jackson Foundation, founded by L.C., William, and Jimmy (Doug’s father) Jackson and financed with proceeds from the sale of the brothers’ Goodlark Regional Medical Center, which they established in 1958.

The 110,000-square-foot center is “for anyone and everyone,” says Jackson, an attorney and Tennessee state senator. The Jackson Foundation, a nonprofit organization, hopes the center becomes a model for the country—a place where people of all ages can experience a “renaissance” of learning and self-enrichment, Jackson says. “We want to push them to dream and fuel their passions.”

On most weekdays, the complex is bustling with excited children and teenagers on field trips from area schools. Mondays are reserved for adult visitors. Seniors enjoy computer classes, exhibits, plays, and musical concerts for free. Other hands-on courses open to everyone throughout the week range from music, photography, and creative writing to 3-D computer animation, Web page design, and advanced business software. The center’s state-of-the-art digital animation and video editing facilities are among the best in the world and attract students from as far away as Japan and Africa.

Rounding out the center’s resources are high-tech television and recording studios, a theater, a cafe, a visual arts gallery with changing exhibits, and a bookstore. The 455-seat Performing Arts Theater hosts plays and concerts enjoyed by the whole community. The center’s own professional company of actors stages shows ranging from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. At the CyberCafe, tables are equipped with computers, allowing students to surf the Web while taking breaks from classes.

The center’s first year saw some 35,000 young visitors, says Sara Caudill, Dickson’s director of elementary education. The field trips, free to all students, “have resulted in a stimulation of thinking,” she says.

Dickson’s attractive cost of living and growing industrial park have long been its main draw, but the Renaissance Center provides its own lure. “The center has brought something to this community that very few cities of any size, especially a small city like ours, could ever dream of having,” says David Hamilton, president of the local chamber of commerce.

Dickson was chosen as the center’s site for a very specific reason.

“Because this is our hometown,” explains Jackson, referring to the members of the family who put their money where their convictions are. “We wanted to provide educational opportunities for our community that have not been available before,” he says.

“I really love the art exhibits,” says 10-year-old Rachael Tidwell, who says she has visited the Renaissance Center “a million times.”

“The architecture is really cool,” adds Frazier Dyson, 13.

More and more teachers are bringing their classes to the center. “I thought the science show was just awesome,” says eighth-grade math teacher Linda Conley. “I can’t wait to bring my own children here.”

Bob Alexander is a freelance writer in Franklin, Tenn.

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