BATON ROUGE — The Inspiration Center on Winbourne Avenue, a facility designed to engage with local children, will open during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

On Wednesday, the center, a project from the Baton Rouge Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation, received a $100,000 investment from Aetna Better Health of Louisiana. Aetna's investment joins funding from DentaQuest, ExxonMobil, Cox Communications of Greater Louisiana and Gaming and Leisure Properties. 

Officials at the Baton Rouge Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Foundation said the Inspiration Center at Howell Park mirrors national models that offer critical services and guidance in disinvested communities, aimed specifically at reducing violent crime and expanding opportunities. 

The center is modelled after similar facilities in Atlanta, Georgia, and St. Cloud, Minnesota. 

"One critical service the LECJF will offer through the Inspiration Center is a proactive approach to economic stability and healthy living," officials said. "In addition to the capital commitment from Aetna, Aetna Better Health of Louisiana will partner with the LECJF to manage a resource room within the Inspiration Center that provides economic support services and education programs, such as those related to healthy eating, CPR and mental health."

The facility formally opens on Tuesday, Jan. 20.