Edward Waters University(EWU) is advancing plans for the EWU Innovation Learner Lounge, a purpose-built academic space supported through the Home Depot Retool Your School Grant Program. Located in Centennial Hall, the University’s oldest academic building, the grant has enabled the reimagining of an underutilized computer lab into a modern, collaborative learning environment. Designed to better serve commuter students, the evolving space reflects a strategic commitment to strengthening retention, increasing engagement, and addressing structural barriers to student success.
Led by Genyne Henry Boston, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the project aligns with the work of EWU’s THRIVE Taskforce, which focuses on increasing academic support, reducing first-year failure rates, lowering Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals, improving retention, and strengthening services for commuter and phantom students. More than 400 EWU students commute to campus daily and previously lacked a designated space to study or remain on campus between classes, a gap the University identified as a critical challenge to persistence and academic connection.
The project was completed in January 2026 following a multi-phase renovation process that began with the Home Depot grant award in April 2025. Renovations include IT upgrades, flooring installation, custom window treatments, painting, new furniture, collaborative tables, whiteboards, signage, lighting, and flexible study stations. The finished space features illuminated work areas, charging stations, high-top collaboration tables, a central monitor, and a glass whiteboard designed to support both individual study and group learning.
University leaders say the lounge represents a visible commitment to aligning facilities with academic strategy while also providing a welcoming environment that reflects the needs of today’s learners. The project also produced key operational insights, including the importance of early planning, clear milestone tracking, coordinated campus partnerships, and dedicated project management for grant-funded initiatives.
As EWU continues to expand its student success infrastructure, the Innovation Learner Lounge stands as a model of how strategic partnerships, data-informed planning, and intentional design can generate meaningful institutional impact.