Perry Township Schools launched its new Innovation and Entrepreneurship program on July 29. The program is hosted on the University of Indianapolis’ campus and aims to “redefine the high school experience,” according to UIndy360.
Classes will be temporarily held in Martin Hall while a new 52,150 square foot “entrepreneurship and innovation center” is being built. The facility has an estimated cost of $30 million and is “made possible through the generous support of Lilly Endowment Inc,” according to UIndy360. Construction will start this fall and is expected to be completed by the start of the 2028-29 school year.
The program is open to juniors and seniors attending Perry Meridian and Southport High schools and focuses on bridging the gap between classroom learning and real world application. Classes will be “led by a certified teacher and enhanced by business professionals” who will “provide real-world insight,” according to Perry Township Schools.
UIndy President, Tanuja Singh, said that the emphasis on experiential learning is intentional and hopes it will help students visualize how their education will function in the real world.
“Our goal was to provide Perry Township Schools, from where we recruit a lot of students, that opportunity to visualize what their education truly translates into,” Singh said. “The idea was we are exposing students to what their future looks like, but we are also telling them, hey, you can do this at college.”
Director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program for Perry Township Schools, Brian Bulmer, said that students participating in the program will have the chance to work with businesses in the community. He explained that there are four businesses participating in the innovation and entrepreneurship program, giving students the opportunity to solve real issues during their classwork.
According to Bulmer, the projects students will work on are not just thought experiments, but could be adapted for real use by the businesses who have chosen to participate. Southport High School senior, Liam Wilson, said that the unique opportunity to work on solving real problems was what compelled him to apply for the program.
The program also focuses on teaching students “soft skills” that employers desire, which include “collaboration and communication skills, as well as the ability to network,” according to Bulmer. Wilson expressed that learning the aforementioned skills is one of his favorite parts of the program so far and that being in a smaller group helps him connect with other students.
“…The work that we do is very collaborative, so we talk a lot, and so I feel like we’re kind of forced to just eventually become friends with each other,” Wilson said. “…we’re a very close knit group and I feel like we all collaborate very well, and I feel like we’ve all learned some more skills on how to work together in a team.”
There are around 70 students enrolled in the program currently, which is within their goal range for the first year, according to Bulmer, and he plans to grow the program to include 400 students over the next three years. Singh and Bulmer both stated that they hope this is just the beginning for this partnership and that they believe it has the potential to grow and include other areas of study.
Bulmer explained that the reason the program focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship is because they engage with many different areas. He and Singh both emphasized the importance of allowing students to explore and determine what they may be interested in.
“I think our biggest goal is getting kids to explore other careers, job opportunities, and learn from other successful people’s experiences so that they can start to learn about other jobs that exist beyond what they know,” Bulmer said. “…What we continue to tell them is to explore all of the things you know are your passions, but don’t be afraid to look at other things that you might not like. Because at minimum you’ll either find out if you really don’t like it, or you might find out that you actually love it way more.”
Bulmer believes that having the program on a college campus will help students get a better idea of what they want to do after graduating from high school. Wilson agreed, saying that, while he already knew that he wanted to study business and marketing in college, participating in the program has helped him solidify that decision.
Wilson also said that he finds interacting with the mentors embedded in the classroom to be especially helpful, as they help motivate him and provide a “blueprint” for him to follow. Bulmer reaffirmed this point, saying that he thinks mentors play an especially important role in helping his students grow and urged anyone who is willing to contribute to reach out to him, including UIndy students and faculty.
Singh said that this partnership is an example of UIndy’s commitment to being a “community anchor” and hopes that it will inspire other institutions to start similar partnerships with K-12 schools.
