Innovation High School

When you spend time in Ronnie Ryno’s fashion studio, you quickly realize that her classroom doesn’t end at the doorway. It extends into the entire city of Spokane.

Over her career, Ronnie has built deep, authentic roots within our local arts and business community. But the most beautiful part of her approach to teaching is that she refuses to keep that network to herself. She actively shares it with her students.

When our youth are preparing for a runway show or finishing a complex collection, Ronnie quietly opens doors. She brings in local photographers, independent designers, and makers not just to observe, but to genuinely collaborate with our youth.

She understands something vital about young adults: when a student is introduced to working professionals who take their art seriously, everything changes. They aren't just high schoolers turning in an assignment anymore. They are emerging artists stepping into a creative community that is already waiting to welcome them.

Graduating with a high school diploma is a great milestone. But graduating with a network of local mentors who already know your name and believe in your vision? That changes the trajectory of a life.

We are so grateful to Ronnie for constantly building these bridges, and to the Spokane creatives who continuously walk across them to meet our students halfway.

Academic growth is impossible without emotional safety.

If you want a student to take a creative risk, push through a difficult math problem, or stand on a stage and model their deigns, they first have to know that they are safe to fail.

Take it from Ty, one of our incredible educators, as he talks about his approach to teaching. By utilizing proactive, positive support, our staff intentionally removes the fear and intimidation from the classroom. We meet students with radical compassion, deep patience, and unconditional respect.

At Innovation High School, we don’t demand respect; we model it. We don't manage behavior; we build relationships. Because when a young adult finally steps into an environment where they know their educators are truly in their corner, there is absolutely no limit to what they can achieve.

This is the culture we are building every single day.