Westminster Public Schools Superintendent Jeni Gotto and Front Range Community College President Colleen Simpson formalized what Simpson called an “extraordinary” relationship with a signing ceremony at the Iver. C Ranum Innovation Campus on April 25. It locks in place an agreement to share resources in the coming years.
Partnerships between school districts and community colleges are not new, but what makes this relationship unique is that it will provide adult learning opportunities for Westminster citizens in the evening hours and on weekends, making it a multi-generational campus.
“This initiative aims to provide flexible, career-focused education pathways in high-demand fields in manufacturing, skilled trades, and technology,” said Simpson. “By offering after hours courses, we seek to accommodate working adults and those with daytime commitments, ensuring that education remains accessible to all.”
Superintendent Jeni Gotto shared the sentiment. “By blurring the lines between high school, college, and career training, we are creating new opportunities—new offramps to credentials, and clear onramps to degrees. This is about maximizing the impact of every dollar, every space, and every hour—for everyone we serve.”
In the fall, FRCC and WPS will launch an Advanced Manufacturing program including Electronics Engineering Technology and Automation & Engineering Technology programs.
Several health sciences pathways will also become available.
Westminster High School Junio Dyanna Garcia has already benefited from the Ranum Campus which opened last year. She is interested in a career in Aviation Electrical Design and is already enrolled in the Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Electronics Pathway offered at Westminster High School.
“It’s been a wonderful experience and I have learned so much,” she told the group. “It’s providing me with opportunities I wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere.”