The Hickman Mills School District’s real world education program will have its own home that the district said will be “a hub of innovation and collaboration.”

In a ceremonial ground-breaking Wednesday, the district announced its big plans for the former Pinnacle Career Institute building at 103rd Street and Hickman Mills Drive.

Superintendent Yaw Obeng unveiled the wide range of offerings imagined for the building, with spaces for health sciences, skilled trades, Microschool, a student-run coffee shop, alternative programming areas, adult learning classes, professional development and more — seeing “gateways to a world of possibilities.”

“Gone are the days when education just imparts information,” Obeng said. “We need to be able to facilitate where students can discover, engage, and thrive in their future success.”

The new center will provide more opportunities for the district’s real world learning program and the collaborations already in place with partnering businesses and industry. In 2023, the district reported, 62% of its graduates earned Market Value Assets— which are industry-valued and recognized skills.

The program and its partnerships will continue to grow, Obeng said.

“We see this center as an opportunity for community engagement,” he said. “We will also have evening learning opportunities as well.”

The program is part of the district’s efforts to prepare all of its students for careers, whether they go to four-year universities or specialized industry schools. There are many opportunities for students who learn valued skills, Obeng told KCTV Channel 5.

“We do our analysis with industry,” he said. “The construction trade said, ‘We don’t have students coming out into this industry.’ There are some really good dollars in terms of that. We’ve got students who are leaving and getting $36 an hour.”

Several Ruskin High School students who are in the real world program joined the ground-breaking ceremony, sharing their excitement for more opportunities in the district like their experiences of learning with outside industries.

“You are going to different places, experiencing new things,” Ruskin senior Aleecia Star told KCTV. “You are actually around people, talking to them . . . . (it’s) not something you can do in the classroom.”

Said Ruskin junior Brayden Dawson: “As long as you are dedicated enough to do it, you’ll find it fun.”