CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Harry Bull will join staff, students and community partners for a groundbreaking ceremony and celebration Thursday at the site of the future Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC), which is slated to open in fall of 2019.
CCSD administrators, teachers, staff, students and community members will report to the Centennial site at 2 p.m. Thursday that will eventually host the CCIC.
Once completed, the campus will be a stand-alone college and career preparedness facility accessible to high school students in the Cherry Creek School District. With curriculum rooted in real-world skills and trade certifications ranging from the computer sciences to aviation to health sciences, this facility will offer students a new bridge to connect them to college and viable, successful careers.
“The CCIC is a perfect illustration of the Cherry Creek School District’s continued commitment to innovation and excellence,” Bull said. “Thanks to the support of our community, this cutting-edge facility will help prepare our students for the demands of their ever-changing world. Excellence is a moving target, and it’s always moving up; this groundbreaking is the first step in a project that will help us all keep up with the evolving demands of education.”
“The Cherry Creek Schools community demonstrated its commitment to innovation in approving the funding for this one-of-a-kind facility,” said CCSD Board of Education President David Willman. “This groundbreaking has been a perfect opportunity to thank them for their support, and to formally kick off the district’s next iteration of excellence.”
Under the Career and Technical Education umbrella, the CCIC will expand the district's commitment to preparing students for the academic and professional demands of the 21st century. Career pathways at the CCIC include: Advanced Manufacturing, Business Services, Culinary/Hospitality, Health & Wellness, Infrastructure Engineering, IT/STEAM and Transportation (Aviation & Automotive).
“We are excited to bring this truly unique college and career preparedness facility to the Cherry Creek Schools community. The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus will mimic state-of-the-art work environments with a focus on putting learners in an industry based culture and climate,” CCIC Principal Mark Morgan said. “We’ve had a lot of help from globally recognized companies to local industries located right here in our own backyard. It’s an exciting time to be a student in the Cherry Creek Schools!”
The facility, which was funded by a voter-approved bond referendum in November 2016, is located on a 42-acre site near East Broncos Parkway and South Chambers Road, near the Denver Broncos training facility. It expected to open for the 2019-2020 school year.
DLR Group designed the 117,000-square-foot CCIC facility. JHL Constructors was chosen to build the innovative design.
“Today’s students need hands-on learning opportunities that allow them to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills they will use in future careers,” said Pam Loeffelman, FAIA, DLR Group Principal. “DLR Group’s design provides a flexible and adaptable environment that will evolve as future careers and the demands of the Colorado workforce evolve.”
The CCIC will feature a wide variety of classroom spaces and learning environments, including advanced labs, industry-specific spaces, sheltered outdoor work areas and social spaces.