2014 - City of Bentonville developed “Bentonville Blueprint,” which outlined a strategic economic development plan and sparked the idea for a program to intentionally develop a talent pipeline to support identified sectors critical to the region’s growth.

2015 - Ignite Professional Studies program was officially introduced with its first “career strand” offering Technology to 16 students. Teresa Hudson was named Director.

2016 - Seven career strands were added over two years, including Construction Management, Digital Design/Photography, Health Sciences, Video Production, Culinary Arts, Education Innovation, and Global Business.

2019 - Bentonville Public School District opened the Ignite Center for Advanced Professional Studies, a 6,000-square-foot facility on North Walton Boulevard in Bentonville, which housed six of the eight career strands. The other two strands –Construction Management and Culinary Arts – met in Wildcat Way and Brightwater, respectively.

2022 - Ignite added two career strands: 1) Aviation - Air Mobility and 2) Industrial Design. Ignite partnered with the Thaden Field to host the Aviation – Air Mobility strand. Ignite also increased its capacity, including adding an Annex building, to accept additional students in Education Innovation, Global Business, Health Sciences, and Technology.

2023 - Jessica Imel was named Director following Teresa Hudson’s retirement. The Ignite Industrial Design and Construction Management welcomed students back to a newly renovated 9,000 square-foot space that prepares students for next-generation technical careers. FANUC robotics, CNC manufacturing technologies, Programmable Logic Controlled (PLC) modules, and Amatrol interactive trainers offer hands-on, authentic experiences in engineering and industrial maintenance topics.

2025 - Ignite now serves 580 students across 10 strands with the addition of Ignite Law - Public Policy career strand and an additional focus area in Health Science for Integrative Health. The program has 5 locations in the Bentonville area.