Regis Jesuit High School Breaks Ground on Science & Innovation Center

Aurora, Colo.—Regis Jesuit High School broke ground on August 12, 2022 on its 65,000-sq.-ft. Science & Innovation Center in front of a large crowd of students, parents, faculty, administrators and dedicated donors. This new building will serve every student and exponentially expand project-based learning and collaboration among the school’s 1700 young men and women. The facility’s programming will elevate the STEM offerings and further complement the strong liberal arts foundation offered in Regis Jesuit’s unique single-gender instruction model. An 8000-sq.-ft. Innovation Center and maker space with state-of-the-art technology and equipment will bring student projects to life in tangible, physical forms. True to the school’s Catholic, Jesuit mission, dedicated prayer and reflection space will allow students to contemplate the impact of their ideas as they collaborate with peers, teachers and alumni to gain practical knowledge and skills they can use to create solutions to serve our community and our world.

With its over-capacity enrollment, Regis Jesuit is in critical need of additional space and upgraded facilities for interdisciplinary exploration, creativity, entrepreneurship and scientific experimentation. “The Science & Innovation Center will be a true front door to campus,” says David Card ’87, the school’s fourth president since moving in 1990 to its 82-acre campus in Aurora. Featuring spacious, dedicated classrooms for expanding the already excellent biology, chemistry and physics curriculum, the facility will allow the expansion of courses in robotics, rocket science, environmental science, media literacy, the studio arts and more. “We are also intentionally creating welcoming spaces for our alumni to mentor our students, and for prospective families to witness how committed we are to forming Men and Women with and for Others,” Card says.

Construction of the Science & Innovation Center is being financed in part through Inspire & Ignite 2025, Regis Jesuit High School’s unwavering vision for access, innovation and excellence. This philanthropic campaign, the largest fundraising effort to date in the school’s history, is now entering the community phase, where the Regis Jesuit family of alumni, parents, parents of graduates, grandparents and friends is invited to support these ambitious funding initiatives that will directly impact all current and future students.

Through the early support of many Regis Jesuit community members, the school has been able to advance the Science & Innovation Center project, as well as two additional major initiatives: ensuring greater access through a robust financial aid program and enhancing athletic facilities to help ensure an excellent student experience.

Growing momentum has been made possible in large part by eight mission partners who have made seven-figure commitments to help propel the vision forward. One such mission partner is parent of graduates and current Board Chair John Schmidt, who, together with his wife Angela, made one of the first transformative gifts to Inspire & Ignite 2025. “This inspiring strategic vision will impact every current student and every future family. If a student has the capacity and the desire to be at Regis Jesuit, we want to make it possible for them to be here,” Schmidt says. “And once at Regis Jesuit, we want to ensure they have access to the best resources to realize their God-given talents. Regis Jesuit challenged our sons to reach their full potential, and we want to ensure that opportunity continues for every student.”

Alumnus Mike Hendricks ’67 and his wife Maureen were also inspired to help advance the vision early on. “Regis has done a lot for me and my family and continues to do a lot for people throughout the Denver area. I hope others will join me and Maureen in supporting educational experiences at Regis Jesuit where students can grow in their faith and their relationship with God.” Hendricks says.

The $35 million dollar building, which will be located on the west end of McNicholas Green and will include additional parking, was designed by Larson Incitti Architects and is being built by Saunders Construction, both based in Colorado and nationally recognized. Construction is expected to take about 18 months.

Additional capital initiatives within Inspire & Ignite 2025 include relocation and expansion of the school’s tennis facilities, as well as the addition of two new artificial turf fields.

To learn more about the Science & Innovation Center project, naming opportunities and how you can support the school’s bold vision for the future, please visit www.regisjesuit.com/BoldlyForward.

The school’s last fundraising campaign was completed in 2014 and resulted in the Steele Center – a performing arts facility –along with significant endowment growth for financial aid and faculty compensation.

ABOUT REGIS JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL

Regis Jesuit High School is a Catholic, college preparatory high school offering single-gender education to young men and women in grades 9-12. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus, our innovative educational model combines the advantages of single gender classroom instruction with opportunities for young men and women to collaborate, serve, pray and socialize together on a shared campus and is the only Jesuit high school in the United States to do so. The school draws upon both the nearly 500-year-old tradition of educational excellence established by St. Ignatius, as well as its own history of well over a century to form Men and Women with and for Others.

In an effort to delineate ourselves from Regis University and clearly identify us as a Jesuit high school in the Denver metro area, we use the name Regis Jesuit. Referring to the school as Regis Jesuit High School on first reference and Regis Jesuit, RJ or RJHS in subsequent usage is our communications standard. We appreciate your efforts to adhere to it.

To see our complete media kit, visit www.regisjesuit.com/mediakit.

MORE INFORMATION:
Charisse Broderick King

Director of Communications

Regis Jesuit High School

cbroderickking@regisjesuit.com | 303.269.8058