HERMISTON — Hermiston is the next local community in line for an Amazon Web Services Think Big Space.

The Hermiston School District in a press release April 26 announced plans for a collaboration between AWS and the district to “provide a dedicated space for students and educators to explore innovative and imaginative ideas through interactive hands-on technical education and cloud computing training.”

“This AWS Think Big Space will provide enhanced classrooms for students in grades 3-14, grounded in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics disciplines,” according to the district.

Tricia Mooney, school district superintendent said in the press release “the horizon is guaranteed to look different” for Hermiston students entering the workforce in the years ahead.

“Our partnership with AWS for the Think Big Space will give Hermiston students a step ahead, as they learn to look at problems in more innovative and imaginative ways,” she said.

The district will oversee the space, partnering with Blue Mountain Community College and other private sponsors.

The AWS Think Big Space will be in the east annex of Columbia Hall across from the Eastern Oregon Higher Education Center. Construction is scheduled to begin soon, with the space expected to open by the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Think Big Spaces also are in operation at the Port of Morrow’s SAGE Center in Boardman and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s After School Center near Pendleton.