Dr. Don Haddad and Dr. Jackie Kapushion on St. Vrain Schools and Innovation Centers

Key Points

  • Public education is critical to public health, well-being, safety and even national security. 

  • Superintendents have to be willing to learn with and alongside other districts.

St. Vrain Podcast

This episode of the Getting Smart Podcast is a part of our New Pathways campaign. In partnership with American Student Assistance® (ASA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stand Together and the Walton Foundation, the New Pathways campaign will question education’s status quo and propose new methods of giving students a chance to experience success in what’s next. 

On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Tom Vander Ark is joined by Dr. Don Haddad, the Superintendent at St. Vrain Valley Schools and Dr. Jackie Kapushion, the Deputy Superintendent. 

Together, they discuss the various pathways initiatives of St. Vrain Valley Schools, the role of a superintendent and how to scale innovation. 

From Next-Gen Career Prep at St. Vrain Innovation Center

From launching a drone fleet to fighting cybercrime, from robotics to biotechnology, from engineering to entrepreneurship, the Innovation Center (@ICSVVSD) serves more than thousands of high school students in the St Vrain Valley School District (@SVVSD).

Thirty miles north of Denver, the Innovation Center serves students, PK-14, from all 60 schools in Longmont and surrounding communities. In its second year of operation, the $20 million career center offers 50,000 square foot of specialized learning programs prioritized by local, national, and global business and corporate partners.

Students take one or more classes at the Innovation Center and retain enrollment at their home high school. Buses run all day to extend access and options for St. Vrain students.

[Education is] an opportunity maker, a dream maker, an equalizer. It gives everybody the opportunity to advance and succeed in whatever way they choose […] I really believe that in my core. Not just theoretically, but personally. It’s what caused me to be able to do the things that I dreamed about.

Dr. Don Haddad

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Getting Smart Staff

The Getting Smart Staff believes in learning out loud and always being an advocate for things that we are excited about. As a result, we write a lot. Do you have a story we should cover? Email [email protected]

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