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Boone, Kenton school districts form partnership for Ignite Institute, opening set for August 2019


Boone and Kenton County School Districts have established an IGNITE INSTITUTE partnership to inspire STEAM learning and elevate educational opportunities for all students in the Northern Kentucky region.

IGNITE INSTITUTE at Roebling Innovation Center will be an innovative, collaborative high school committed to inspiring creativity and empowering scholars to compete in the workforce of tomorrow.

“Both Boone and Kenton County School Districts are already distinguished leaders in authentic learning in the science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) disciplines,” says Co-Principal of IGNITE Jerry Gels.

“The collaboration between the districts will allow us to take our current innovative educational practices to the next level in an environment that meets the needs of the current generation of learners and that provides a pipeline of high-quality workers to the region,” according to Co-Principal Julie Whitis.

Jerry Gels and Julie Whitis will be sharing principal roles at IGNITE.

This collaborative partnership will provide students with a curriculum structure for seven colleges (Bio-Medical/Health Science, Engineering, IT/Computer Science, Construction Technology, Logistics, Design, and Education) which will lead students into several potential career pathways.

“This partnership is groundbreaking for our region and in public education,” said Randy Poe, Boone County Superintendent. “By joining our resources together we know the outcome will be transformational for the region by being the incubator for future careers leading to employer attraction and job creation.”

“The Kenton County School District is excited about this partnership and what it will do to ensure that a world-class education is available for ALL students,” said Henry Webb, Kenton County Superintendent. “One of our objectives in Kenton County is to prepare students for college or careers, and the partnership with Ignite will help us reach this goal.”

The IGNITE INSTITUTE at Roebling Innovation Center opens in August 2019 to students starting in the 8th grade.

Enrollment applications can be found online.


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