TOLEDO, Ohio — St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy announced "The Campaign for Innovation" on Wednesday, a multi-million dollar program aimed at fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and student empowerment.
The $15.8 million campaign will fund several new infrastructural developments at the school, including a "Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship" and necessary stadium improvements, according to a press release. Additionally, the campaign will fund a living residence and community center, which will be built on the grounds of the campus. The center will be named after St. John's board member and entrepreneur Geoff Lynden, who passed in 2018.
The multi-purpose center will also serve as a residence for the Society of Jesus order priests, and as a space for other student, staff and faculty gatherings.
serve as a residence for Society of Jesus order priests, and a center for spiritual development such as student-led retreats, adult spiritual guidance, and other small gatherings.
School officials say the developments are crucial in creating effective educational environments for students.
"The focus of the Campaign for Innovation is to create an academic center featuring flexible classroom and laboratory space that empowers our students to collectively experience practical problem solving in real world environments incorporating real risk, real consequences and real outcomes," St. John's president Mark Swentkofske said in a press release.
So far, the school said they have secured $10.8 million of the $15.8 million goal.
Officials at St. John's hope to increase the longevity and breadth of the parochial school by increasing scholarship and endowment funding. Board Chair Jeff Savage says the education St. John's provided is beneficial to the Toledo-area community.
"...What is most critical to the growth and success of our community are graduates with intellectual skills and confidence to navigate small, start up, or corporate entities, with an educational foundation that has developed critical thinking, business planning and execution," Savage said in the release.
The campaign will also include renaming the football field. To honor former coach and teacher Fred Beier, who served at St. John's for 39 years, the field will be renamed after him.
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