USD 437 soon opens brand Innovation Center for students

SHAWNEE COUNTY (KSNT) - A school in Shawnee County will soon house "state-of-the-art" technology to aid in students learning.

Washburn Rural High School (WRHS) announced Wednesday that students will soon be able to use its new Innovation Center, according to a news release from USD 437.

Work on this 50,000 square-foot facility is just one part of the continued work taking place at Auburn Washburn USD 437 to improve the students' experience.

"This facility is more than just a structure filled with cutting-edge equipment; it represents a bold vision for the future of education," Auburn-Washburn Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott McWilliams said. "It is a commitment to nurturing creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving in our students. The Innovation Center will serve as a dynamic hub for exploration and discovery, equipping our students with the skills and resources they need to thrive in an ever-evolving world."

The Innovation Center will house nine of the 18 career-focused Pathway programs that have been approved by the Kansas Department of Education: Animal Science, Comprehensive Agriculture, Power, Structural & Technical Systems; Construction & Design: Construction, Construction & Design: Design, Digital Media; Biomedical, Restaurant & Event Management. and Programming & Software, according to the news release.

The school district said 75% of students will take part in at least one Pathway course during high school.

"Each of these programs is more than a subject," WRHS principal Ed Raines said. "They are the means by which we prepare our students for a rapidly changing world. In these spaces, they will learn how to think, how to lead, and how to transform. These are the qualities that will allow them to face the future with confidence and resolve." 

The center will empower students to engage in hands-on learning, collaborate on real-world projects, and develop the skills they need to meet future challenges head-on. "We are not just cutting a ribbon and opening our doors to this facility," McWilliams said. "Much more importantly, we are opening the minds of teachers and students to a world of new possibilities.”

According to Washburn Rural High School, the Innovation Center will be available to students on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024; the first day of the second quarter of the 2024-25 school year.

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