NKY leaders talk about what the Ignite Institute at Roebling Innovation Center means for the region

By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor

Toyota’s announcement that it is donating its Quality and Production Engineering Laboratory to develop the Ignite Institute at Roebling Innovation Center that will serve the region is expected to spur a dramatic leap forward in workforce development.

The plan is to develop a world-class STEAM education center that inspires the next generation to be creative and engaged, highly skilled, tech-savvy and work-ready problem solvers.

Governor Matt Bevin announced a $6.8m Work Ready Skills initiative grant to Boone County Schools to adapt Toyota’s office and engineering lab into a school.

The new school is scheduled to be ready for students in fall 2019 for the 2019-2020 school year.

Some of Northern Kentucky influential educators and leaders talked recently about how the project came into focus and what it will mean for the region.

Randy Poe, superintendent, Boone County Schools

Poe

“It’s a collective effort from the 17 school districts in Northern Kentucky.

We came together and tried to figure out how to operate this and I have to give credit to my Board of Education. They stepped up and said they would operate it and figure out how to finance it and work all of that out later. They took the leadership.

We felt as one of the largest districts in the region that it was an obligation of ours to step up to the plate because we will have the largest number of students going to this school. We plan to operate it in a regional collaborative process.

The Toyota approach has been used in developing this school and will be a big part of it in the future.

The whole issue around project-based learning is going to be working on authentic projects and having the students come together and complete those projects utilizing expertise from area businesses to help them solve problems.

That critical, deep-dive that they do and analysis is filtered throughout the program because the key here is that the students will be working on their knowledge and their skills and shaping their disposition through that collaborative process of critical thinking.”

Moore

Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore:

“Boone County and Boone County Schools are both known for being leaders in the Commonwealth. I believe this project will elevate us to an even higher level of being among the more visionary communities in the nation and maybe internationally.

I’ve had a lot of questions about the recent economic development announcements about workforce. Where are we going to find workers and where the talent? While a component of that will be importing people, we have to home-grow our own talent. This project will allow us to have our home-grown talent be able to achieve at a greater level.”

Fernando Figueroa, president of Gateway Community & Technical College:

Fernando Figueroa

“We are very excited that we are investing as a community in educational attainment and in providing the kind of education experiences that will play a good role in developing the talent that we will need in the future.

I’m very impressed with how Toyota has treated the community and felt that it was important to leave a legacy of goodwill and I think that is going to serve everyone in Northern Kentucky.”

Trey Grayson, president and CEO, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce:

“It’s an extraordinary gift. For 20 years Toyota has touched our community with their generosity – underwriting events, their associates have volunteered on the board of every nonprofit.

While the business decision had to be made and we are disappointed by that and we are going to miss them, this is a reminder of all that they have been, but more importantly what they can be.

Grayson

They are going to leave this gift and a kid here will graduate, start a company, start a great career and actually, have a greater economic impact from all of the great minds that are coming through here.

It’s a day of pride for our community. What’s nice is you are taking something that is a loss and turning it into an asset. No other community in America is going to have something like this.

One other thing that is exciting is that the Toyota philosophy of how they approach engineering problems, manufacturing and the focus on quality, those are great principles will be used here.

So, Toyota is going to impact, not just with the building, but with the Toyota way that has impacted business and organizations all across the country and that’s going to be a big part of this school.”

James C. Votruba, president emeritus at Northern Kentucky University:

Votruba

“This goes far beyond education. This is a way a community builds itself for the future and makes sure nobody is left behind. I am so excited about this.”

Tim Hanner, president, Navigo College and Career Prep Services:

“This will allow us to start early, working within the region, with employers and agencies to know what’s going to be needed ahead of time and then work back with the schools to fundamentally change the way we educate students.

It will lead to not only well-paying jobs and helping our workforce development in this area, but just as important, connecting students with what they are passionate about in life.

That’s what’s we do at Navigo, that’s why we exist, so I was honored when I asked to help vision this process. Then working with the folks at Toyota was more than an honor, I learned so much about their way of thinking and systemic systematic thinking to create opportunities and solutions-based thinking.

Hanner

One of the groups we work with is cyber-security for U.S. Bank and it’s about teaching kids to have skills, but it’s really more about providing opportunities for them to have divergent thinking. You are not teaching for one skill, you are teaching students to create, problem-solve and work together as a team. That to me has been what I’ve learned since I left the (Kenton County Schools) superintendency and had the opportunity to work with companies like Toyota, Pomeroy, St. Elizabeth Healthcare and U. S. Bank.

We don’t want robots, we want students who learn how to think, how to react and how to resolve then going back and working with students. Exciting things are happening right now in our region.”

Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com