1st State Campus High School Entrepreneurship Center Breaks Ground

A group of people, including school administrators and construction workers, standing in front of a "Perry Township Schools" sign and a construction site, holding shovels and preparing for a groundbreaking ceremony. — Source: Perry Township & UIndy / Perry Township & UIndy

PERRY TOWNSHIP, Ind. — In a landmark partnership bridging K-12 education and higher learning, Perry Township Schools officially broke ground Thursday, August 27, on a $30 million state-of-the-art Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center housed directly on the campus of the University of Indianapolis (UIndy).

The ceremony marked a milestone in public education as Indiana’s first career-connected high school program physically integrated into a university campus. The 52,000-square-foot facility is designed to serve as a high-tech incubator for high school students from Southport and Perry Meridian High Schools, offering them real-world business experience while earning early college experience.

Funding for the multi-million-dollar facility was made possible through a major grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., expressing confidence in the initiative’s potential to reshape career pathways and serve as an economic catalyst for Central Indiana.

University of Indianapolis Board Chair Deborah Daniels emphasized the strategic significance of the joint venture during her remarks at the groundbreaking.

“You can see and feel the tangible energy across campus as construction begins on Indiana’s first career-connected high school program housed directly on a university campus,” Daniels noted. “We’re extremely grateful to the leadership and the school board of Perry Township schools, including of course superintendent Dr. Patrick Spray, whose initiative and creativity have been instrumental in making this collaboration possible.”

Daniels highlighted that the initiative aligns with UIndy’s mission to remain a vital institutional anchor on Indianapolis’ south side while deepening ties with local families and drive economic growth.

“Hosting high school students from Southport and Perry Meridian High Schools will only serve to deepen our integration into the community, while it will also help to drive economic vitality,” Daniels said. “Transformational initiatives require bold leadership, vision, and drive… Our board of trustees views this partnership as a foundational element of UIndy’s strategic vision.”

When completed, the facility will feature four specialized studios for design, prototyping, and business development, alongside makerspaces, co-working spaces, instructional classrooms, and professional pitch areas.