The Theodore Roosevelt High School Foundation has successfully raised the $1,100,000 necessary to move forward with a new Innovation & Learning Center. It will replace the existing library which was built in 1962. Demolition of the space began this month, with work continuing through the spring of 2024. The new space should be completed in time for the start of the 2024-25 school year.
The project is the result of a multi-year capital campaign that included transformational gifts from MidAmerican Energy, Prairie Meadows and Polk County. Additionally, more than 400 individual donors helped make this dream a reality.
The new Innovation & Learning Center will be a welcoming, well-lit, and forward-thinking space that serves as a hub for the school. It will feature a mixture of public, semi-private, and private workspaces that will host the TRHS community in various ways throughout a typical day at Roosevelt. These flexible spaces will create a focal point for knowledge distribution, as well as foster inclusive engagement and collaborative learning. The project will transform an underutilized space and make it a hub for students, faculty, parents, and alumni. The space is designed to think beyond quiet rows of books to a facility meant to spark collaboration. It’s a safe and vibrant space that students will want to spend time in.
“The Roosevelt for Generations Capital Campaign has delivered another significant facility upgrade for our school. The 1.1-million-dollar investment will transform our library and provide students access to a state-of-the-art facility to foster collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills. The investment builds upon the exciting improvements we’re fostering at Roosevelt in academics and activities,” explains Principal Steve Schappaugh.
The Innovation & Learning Center was designed by Neumann Monson Architecture. It is the culmination of a multi-year Roosevelt for Generations capital campaign led by Brian Gentry, Laura Leonard, Jackie Norris, and Rose Green. The first large project focused on a new practice field and track. The TRHS Foundation dedicated the $2.7 million Randy Duncan Track + Field in the fall of 2022.