KUKUA INSTITUTE

Discover

Where Art, History, Science and Technology Converge

Ezra Gerry Museum and Research Center

The Ezra Gerry Museum and Research Center celebrates the history and culture of Historic Belmont DeVilliers through art, historical artifacts and digital collections. The museum, located at 422 N. Coyle Street, is being restored in a 1880s-era house and is expected to open in 2020.

Center for the Innovation Workforce

The Center for the Innovation Workforce provides experiential learning to students, preparing them for the innovation economy. For these intelligent minds, science and technology come alive as virtual reality, robotics, data science, artificial intelligence and computing.

VIOLA! Tickets

February 11, 2020, 7:30 PM at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville, Florida. The Viola! Song Cycle is a new work on the fate of the Viola Edwards Hospital which opened in 1922 as the first African American-owned hospital in Pensacola, Florida. The fate of the hospital and its owner is at the core of this story and reveals two women’s lives altered in pursuit of the American dream. Join us for this one-day special event at the spectacular Mattie Kelly Arts Center on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida.

Kukua Institute's 2016 - 2018 Years in Review

We're excited to celebrate the milestones through art, history, science and technology activities and programs. Our partners impacted us in a big, big way as we discovered, shared, celebrated and grew stories that impact us all. Thank you!

Pared Pairings

March 24, 2020. Tuesday, 6:00 PM. The doors will open at 5:30 PM for "Pared Pairings: Uncovering Conversations. Together." It is a series of conversations with two people around a single focus of art, history, science or technology. The guests will peel back the layers from their own perspective in conversation with each other and discover undiscovered connections. Our guests are for the second pairings are strength and conditioning coach Destini Robinson and Major League Baseball player and World Series Winner Adron Chambers. Come listen as they pare sports and technology.

Our Story

The Kukua Institute started in 2016 with a simple goal to save a historic house built around 1884. The home's successful preservation and relocation became the spark for the development of programs and activities that use AI, robotics, art, historical and scientific research, and student and community involvement to discover, share, celebrate and grow stories that impact us all. Today, the Institute is a place to grow and share the cultural, intellectual and economic abilities and contributions of African Americans. We envision a world where everyone discovers, shares and celebrates these stories, abilities and contributions. Join us as we grow our world through art, history, science and technology. But, we didn't get here by ourselves. Individuals, community members, business owners and corporate employees and executives have volunteer their time, talent and treasures to ensure we have a solid foundation to work the mission. They have passionately used their experiences to help mentor our young and future leaders; to build the programs and operations that drive innovation; and to be a cheerleader in advocating for good processes so the Institute will be a sustainable organization for years to come. We are grateful for them all.

Our Team

Meet the team who are passionate about the mission of the Kukua Institute

Lloyd Reshard

Board Chair, Passionate about Science and Tech

Robin Reshard

Executive Director, Passionate about Art and History

Lloyd Reshard, Jr.

Operations Director, Passionate about Art and Tech

Programs and Services

Discovering. Sharing. Celebrating. Growing.

C.H.A.R.L.I.E.

Connecting History and Robotics

CHARLIE, an acronym for Connecting History and Robotics. Learning Innovation Education., teaches history, arts and culture to students using humanoid robots. CHARLIE gives students an educational opportunity, academic enhancement and employment skills as they discover the value and lessons that history provides through programming and interacting with robots.

B LOCK BOTS

Building the Blocks for Math, Science and Beyond

The Block Bots is an ongoing after-school, weekend and summer program that provides experiential learning of the building blocks of math and science for students to learn the basics of programming robots and machines for manufacturing. How cool to experiment with humanoid, insect, computing and manufacturing robots!

SCHOLARS on the BLOCKS

Advancing Young Minds through Art, History, Science and Technology

The Scholars on the Blocks advances the scholarship of students through art, history, science and technology. The young scholars learn positive behaviors associated with teamwork, diversity and community-building by exploring the careers in the building of the Historic Belmont DeVilliers neighborhood. Students hear from those in different professions, tour the neighborhood, and get involved in a hands-on activity of the profession.