Plans for the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Innovation Center expansion include a new lab where students can learn to use motion capture technology plus an event space to host robotics tournaments, teacher training and field trips.
The district is doubling the size of the Innovation Center, from about 55,000 square feet to about 110,000 square feet. The $34.6 million expansion is part of the district’s $739.8 million capital construction bond issue, which was approved by voters in November. Along with expanding the Innovation Center, the bond projects include five new buildings and updates to existing schools.
The Innovation Center, which opened in 2018 and was funded by a 2016 bond issue, offers STEM programs to students districtwide. Programs include aeronautics, artificial intelligence, bioscience, cybersecurity, robotics, and virtual reality and digital design. The center also houses P-TEACH, a grow-your-own teacher program that includes field experiences in classrooms and college-level early childhood classes, allowing students to earn college credit while still in high school.
This semester, 1,362 students are taking classes at the Innovation Center. With some students taking more than one class, those students are filling more than 1,600 “seats.”…