“All of us were already picturing ourselves learning within the different areas,” he said. “The classrooms showed so much promise as areas where we could create, design and collaborate together, from the chemistry labs that have new state of the art equipment — and give an amazing view of our city — to the private study rooms in our media center.”
Sanchez and fellow student Grislady Jimenez spoke Thursday afternoon to a crowd of school officials, elected leaders and community members gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the school at 817 N. Ninth St. Their remarks brought a standing ovation from the crowd.
The academy, which will open for the 2026-27 school year, is designed to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, fields.
The new high school represents an underlying shift in education, said Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, superintendent.
“This is a fundamental change, because the future demands more,” Mumin said. “It demands critical thinkers, problem solvers, innovators and leaders. That means that schooling, pedagogy and instruction must look different. It must be active and engaging, project-based real-world learning, hands-on experiences, and exploration and innovation and technology.”
Sanchez and Jimenez offered the assembly a glimpse into how students see their future inside the academy.
“We are given a taste of what hands on can mean within our chosen pathway,” Jimenez said. “It’s not only connecting us to real life careers, but it also gives us the chance to obtain experience in specific fields we are passionate about, before even graduating.”
The school is structured around specific pathways, including engineering and design, computer science and information technology, health and biomedical sciences and STEM-focused human services, explained JuliAnne Kline, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning.
Within those tracks, students won’t just study concepts, she said, they’ll apply them the way professionals do, designing and building solutions in engineering studios, coding and performing data analysis in computer labs and exploring patient care and medical systems in health-science settings.
Kline said the pathways are designed to bring relevance, purpose and direction to students, connecting learning to future careers.
The academy was designed not just for students, but with them, district officials said.
Chief Financial Officer Wayne Gehris said the district held listening sessions with students, staff and community members to shape the building’s design. That collaboration is evident in the building itself, he said, a bright, open, modern structure with sweeping glass, warm wood finishes and collaborative spaces.
Dr. Noahleen Betts, school board president, recognized the broad coalition of people and institutions that helped bring the concept to reality, emphasizing that the project was rooted in shared commitment.
She thanked current and former board members, administrators and community stakeholders who, she said, worked tirelessly on behalf of the students and their families. She also thanked the elected officials at the local, state and federal levels who supported the district through funding challenges and advocacy efforts.
Betts also acknowledged the many hands behind the scenes, from communications staff to long-serving personnel.
The new school, she said, stands as a collective achievement made possible by sustained belief in the district’s students and their future.
Betts, Gehris and other officials recounted the project’s multiyear path from its 2021 conception through funding challenges and construction, always returning to the reason behind it: the students.
“What the Innovation Academy is really about is students and their futures,” academy Principal Amanda Helm said. “Every student who walks through these doors will be known, they’ll be challenged and they’ll be supported.”
Students were also the focus as they joined school officials in a ceremonial cutting of the red ribbon stretched across the main entrance.
“Today, we cut a ribbon, but more importantly, we open doors, doors to opportunity, to innovation and to futures filled with possibility,” said Wanda Gonzalez-Crespo, assistant superintendent of school improvement.
Minutes later the doors opened, and students led the way inside where guests divided into student-led tour groups.
For Sanchez, who greeted visitors in the chemistry laboratory, the academy is much more than a building. It’s a place where students will hone skills and discover strengths, build careers and shape the future, he said.
“Our goal is not only to better ourselves,” he said, “but also to help our community grow as a whole.”
© 2026 the Reading Eagle (Reading, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
