https://www.heartlandwholehealth.org/about-us/news/ignite-expansion/
What’s happening
HWHI, Alice L. Walton Foundation, and Bentonville Schools announced plans to expand the Ignite Professional Studies program onto the forthcoming Bentonville Health Care Campus.
A new building may be provided by the Foundation to house this expansion.
Beyond Bentonville Schools, eight regional school districts are slated to participate, joining Bentonville to offer Ignite courses at the new campus.
The expansion will include programs in Health Sciences, Technology, Global Business, and Engineering.
Why it matters
Ignite gives 11th- and 12th-grade students hands-on learning, industry-recognized credentials, and exposure to real workplaces — especially in health sciences where they benefit from labs, mentoring, and community health exposure.
This expansion responds to regional workforce needs: a 2024 report called Northwest Arkansas Health Care Vision 2030: Continuing the Transformation highlighted the urgent need to build a sustainable pipeline of health-care professionals in Northwest Arkansas.
The new campus is planned on a 100-acre site ~2 miles east of downtown Bentonville, adjacent to Interstate 49.