AURORA | The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus was acknowledged this week as one of the top 100 most impactful, innovative programs globally and among the top 10 in the United States.
“This honor reflects our commitment to providing innovative, real-world learning experiences that prepares students for their Pathway of Purpose in college, career and beyond,” Christopher Smith, superintendent of the Cherry Creek School District, said in a statement.
As the only public school district awarded, this distinction from HundrED further sets the innovation campus and Cherry Creek schools apart for its forward-looking vision and commitment to preparing students for success in the workforce today and into the future, officials said in a statement.
Selected from more than 3,000 reviewed programs, this recognition highlights the Innovation Campus’s unique approach to integrating education with industry, preparing students for workforce careers.
The Innovations Campus merges public education with the innovation of industry.
Courses include aviation, automotive, business, hospitality, IT, manufacturing, construction and healthcare. The classrooms intersect industry credentials, college credit, professional skills and industry-grade equipment and standards. Doing this connects student interests with labor needs to serve the community.
“We are redefining what education looks like and are committed to preparing students with the skills, experience, and confidence they need to excel in the modern world,” said Steve Day, principal of the Innovation Campus.
Opened in 2019, the Innovation Campus has garnered various accolades, including two Grand Prize wins from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, the Manufacturing Workforce Innovator Award from the Colorado Manufacturing Network and recognition as a Quantum Computing Tech Hub under the K-12 Initiative. Serving students in grades 10 through 12, CCIC delivers transformative education throughout the Cherry Creek School District.
The Cherry Creek community’s recent approval of a mill levy and bond measure will further expand the CCIC, allowing it to double in size and amplify its impact in the coming years, according to school officials.
Bravo CCIC! Thank you.
(Is this 2-year-old photo from inside a hangar at decommisioned Lowry Air Base?)
Starting in the 1990’s, school districts began to defund and eliminate shop classes in a push to get every student to go to College. Then, some 20+ years ago a program called “No Child Left Behind” entered the mix which further drove Primary and Secondary education practice to get kids prepared to go to College. Hey guess what?!? Not every kid wants to go to College. And also guess what?!?!
Kids not wanting to go to college should not be stereotyped as school misfits or for being stupid. For the first quarter of this century there has been a significant drop in high school grads going into careers in the trades, creating a major shortage of labor in those fields. Match that with college grads coming into the workforce heavily loaded in debt and no particularly strong job prospects, it only makes sense for the school districts to realize programs like the Innovation Campus are what a lot of students need to start and have successful careers. I applaud CCSD for recognizing the error of their ways and developing the Innovation Campus. There’s only one minor problem with the Innovation Campus; being a separate campus the students have to make arrangements for transportation to get to it. It would be nice if the curriculum could be incorporated at each of the six high schools so their classes don’t disrupt their regular schedules.