Las Vegas Youth Reimagine Education with IANhub: A New Model for Community-Based Learning

In Las Vegas, a new youth-led initiative is changing the trajectory of education with the launch of IANhub, a proposed community learning space aimed at creating autonomy and the opportunity to build new skills and grow personally outside of the school environment. Created by a group of 13 students from the area called "futurescapers," IANhub is intended to support pathways for teens and young adults who are experiencing challenges after the pandemic, including becoming chronically absent and distanced from school.

Presented on July 2 at the Vegas Theatre Company, IANhub is envisioned as a “learning mall” offering flexible, interest-based learning in digital skills, performing arts, entrepreneurship, mental health, and life skills. Participants can choose their own schedule and areas of focus, promoting agency and relevance in a community-based setting.

Instead of requiring youth to conform to rigid educational systems, the Center for the Future of Learning is supporting a model that prioritizes meeting young people where they are, through interest-driven, flexible learning that reflects their needs and aspirations.

“We believe that learning innovation drives economic vitality and community strength,” said Jeanine Collins, Co-Founder and Chief Impact Officer of the Center for the Future of Learning. “Our goal is to bring our community together to reimagine what's possible for young people and educators in Nevada. We want to foster opportunities that prepare learners for success in a world that is continuously changing.”

There is also an emphasis on multigenerational collaboration through the inclusion of older community members' perspectives along with youth voices, which creates a learning milieu that attends to the needs of the real world and community culture.
Based on three years of youth-led research – surveys and interviews with peers, IANhub will likely open in the spring of 2026, with an estimated yearly operating figure of $1.5 million. The model will be supported through memberships of approximately $20/month to ensure the space is affordable while also supporting its own programming.

Organizers are currently discussing locations in central or North Las Vegas and are planning development to be underway in time for launch. Student designers are refining the concept with the intention of IANhub being not only a support system but also a launchpad for the next generation of changemakers in Las Vegas.