Fast Company features Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation as an Engine of Growth

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The school’s striking main entry is inspired by the great space of “The School of Athens” and vernacular architecture, defining a grand “front porch” perched above the natural wetland below.

June 1, 2023

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We're happy to share Fast Company has featured Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation in a new piece titled So Long Shop Class - This high school is designed for the jobs of the future.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation (KRAI) represents a radical new approach to fueling innovation and economic investment. Guided by input from the suburban Tampa community, the high school was designed to be a vessel of impact for students and the local economy. It offers an advanced Career Technical Education (CTE), focusing on interactive learning that teaches skills more than theory—arming students with the competencies needed to successfully transition from high school to careers, or into college and beyond.

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The first floor of the school features academic cluster spaces designed to support interactive learning.
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The first floor of the school features academic cluster spaces designed to support interactive learning.
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The first floor of the school features academic cluster spaces designed to support interactive learning.

Featuring an expansive courtyard design, the building creates an inner ring of exterior circulation that creates a natural breezeway through the center—a signature feature also modeled after the vernacular houses of the 19th century. Quite literally, KRAI was designed to be a “cool” school.

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Testimonials

  • It is the interconnectivity of the way the school was designed that facilitates that process of developing not just the technical skills that students would have but also those soft skills. The beauty of the school is it provides students with those opportunities.”

    Kim Moore Assistant Superintendent for Career and Innovative Programs, Pasco County School District

Over the past decade, we have seen a paradigm shift regarding the goal and value of a high school education. Some students may enroll in college immediately following high school graduation, while others may choose to enter the workforce. KRAI was designed to encourage students to choose the path that is best for them. As a new school that draws students from across the county to study a range of subjects, KRAI fosters natural connections between students and the community.

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