Patrons in the Cherry Creek School District gathered on August 1 to celebrate the grand opening of the community’s newest and most advanced learning center. Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, designed by DLR Group, expands career and technical program opportunities and serves as a college and career readiness hub for 11^th and 12^th grade students across the district.

Student Readiness

The campus is a direct result of Cherry Creek 2021, the district’s community engagement process conducted in advance of the November 2016 bond referendum. The outcome of that process is the understanding that the district must prepare students differently as they enter the future workforce.

DLR Group’s design incorporates critical input from business partners who established baseline needs and space parameters to deliver authentic learning environments for each specific career pathway, including real-world training and trade certification activities. The 117,000-SF campus includes a variety of instructional, lab, and social spaces where students can work in teams or individually on assigned tasks as they progress through their chosen career pathway.

The district worked with the Colorado Workforce Development to identify seven relevant career pathways that support the local and regional economy. Pathways include advanced manufacturing, business services, health and wellness, hospitality and tourism, infrastructure engineering, I.T. and STEAM, transportation. In addition to onsite instruction at CCIC, students are also afforded internships and apprenticeships in a variety of career fields.

The campus is located on 40 prominent acres in Dove Valley, bordered by East Broncos Parkway and South Chambers Road, near the Denver Broncos training facility. JHL led construction on the $44 million facility, which was funded by the voter-approved bond referendum in November 2016.