“After discussing workforce development trends with both state and local leaders and also identifying ways to improve the student experience at Global Impact, it became evident that the success of our school has also led to limitations in terms of facilities and curriculum,” said Founding Director Joshua Jennings. “Our goal in exploring these expansion opportunities is to prepare our students for the workforce that awaits them upon graduation while also creating the best learning environment possible.”
The facilities project that would be on Clark State’s Leffel Lane campus would focus on creating an “Upper Academy” to serve GISA’s students in 10-12 grades as this is when they prepare to enter the workforce or choose a career path to continue their education. Students would have access to new classrooms, technology, adjunct faculty, and it would help alleviate capacity restrictions at GISA’s current location inside the Springfield Center of Innovation at The Dome.
Clark State President Jo Alice Blondin said they’ve been a partner with GISA since it started.
“By providing physical space on our Springfield campus for their upperclassmen to take college classes, we can continue to strengthen the connection — both academically and physically — of GISA students to Clark State,” she said.
These new opportunities will introduce the school’s 660 students to new career paths while also contributing to the workforce development needs in local and regional communities. The school’s curriculum focuses on careers in agriculture, food, natural resources and bioscience, but jobs in aerospace and aviation technology have been a conversation point at the local and state levels. GISA’s close proximity to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport is also a factor for hands-on opportunities.
Administrators are working to explore these expansion initiatives with local leaders and school officials in preparation for the 2022-23 school year.
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