FutureForward at Bollman

Expanding career pathways for tomorrow’s workforce

The path from high school to a successful future is no longer one-size-fits-all. Today’s students need opportunities to explore careers, build technical skills, earn industry credentials, and discover where their interests can take them before graduation.

That’s the vision behind FutureForward, the unified Career and Technical Education (CTE) program serving Adams 12 Five Star Schools. By bringing together career pathways under one initiative, FutureForward gives students authentic, hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for college, careers, military service, and lifelong success.

At the Bollman campus in Thornton, Colorado, that vision is expanding. As part of the district’s 2024 bond program, FutureForward at Bollman includes a 37,000-square-foot addition that creates room for more students, more programs, and more opportunities to connect education with the realities of today’s workforce.

Learning that connects education to opportunity

FutureForward is designed around a simple idea: students learn best when they can connect classroom instruction to meaningful career experiences.

Across every pathway, students are encouraged to:

• Explore careers in high-demand industries
• Participate in authentic, hands-on learning
• Develop practical, workforce-ready skills
• Earn industry certifications and college credit
• Discover interests that guide future educational and career decisions

The program is organized around Colorado’s Career Cluster framework, intentionally connecting secondary education with post-secondary opportunities and industry needs. Rather than asking students to choose a career immediately, FutureForward helps them explore possibilities while building skills that remain valuable regardless of where their journey leads.

This emphasis on exploration, flexibility, and real-world learning became a driving force behind the design of the Bollman expansion.

Designing for the growing demand of CTE

The need for additional space wasn’t simply about enrollment; it also reflected the growing popularity and proven effectiveness of career and technical education throughout Adams 12 Five Star Schools and across the country.

During the district’s master planning process, leaders recognized that existing facilities could no longer support the continued growth of FutureForward. Rather than replacing a building that continued to function well, the district chose a more strategic solution: preserve the portions of the facility that still serve students effectively while investing in new spaces that expand opportunity.

The result is a thoughtful addition that balances responsible stewardship of taxpayer funding with the district’s long-term vision for workforce education.

A professional environment for professional aspirations

Students preparing for professional careers deserve environments that reflect those ambitions.

Throughout the Design Advisory Group process, educators and stakeholders established guiding principles that continue to shape the project. The addition should complement the existing Bollman facility without overshadowing it. At the same time, it should establish its own identity—one that reflects the professionalism of the programs housed within it, and the careers students are preparing to enter.

The expansion creates a modernized home for established programs including Video Production, ProStart, and Engineering while making room for new pathways such as Cosmetology and Dental Technician. Specialized learning environments support collaboration, technical instruction, and hands-on experiences that mirror professional workplaces rather than traditional classrooms.

Strengthening connections across campus

The Bollman expansion is being designed alongside the replacement of Thornton High School, creating an opportunity to rethink how students move between academic learning and career-focused education.

A strong physical connection between the two campuses was identified as a critical design priority, helping FutureForward become a seamless extension of students’ educational experience rather than a separate destination.

The result strengthens access to career programming while reinforcing that college preparation and career preparation are complementary paths—not competing ones.

Investing in students and the regional workforce

FutureForward’s impact reaches well beyond graduation. Through partnerships with industry leaders, many programs provide opportunities for students to earn professional certifications, gain work-based learning experiences, and receive college credit accepted by two- and four-year institutions. These experiences give students a competitive advantage whether they choose higher education, military service, or immediate entry into the workforce.

The Bollman expansion creates the physical environment needed to support those partnerships for years to come, allowing programs to continue evolving alongside workforce demands and emerging industries. It is an investment in student potential, regional economic development, and the belief that every learner deserves opportunities to discover where their interests can lead.

For Treanor’s PK-12 Education design team, it demonstrates how thoughtful educational design can expand possibilities long after construction is complete.