On a hot June morning, a group of curious teens in bright blue shirts stepped onto a construction site that might someday change how they see their future — and healthcare.

The dusty grounds of IU Health’s under-construction hospital in southern Allen County aren’t usually open to visitors. But this week, helmets and safety vests were handed out to a different kind of guest: students from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne.

Thanks to a million-dollar community grant from the IU Health Foundation, these teens aren’t just watching progress from the sidelines. They’re learning how it’s built — and who builds it.

Careers, concrete, and curiosity

The visit was part of the Jim Kelley Career Pathway Center, a hands-on program designed to expose young people to careers they might not encounter in a textbook or classroom.

Nicholas Gray, the club’s vice president of strategic partnerships and workforce development, called it a rare opportunity.

“This grant helped us launch the whole program,” he said. “Now we can take kids into the field — literally — and let them see the careers that exist in real time.”

Tuesday’s field trip gave students the chance to walk through one of the state’s most ambitious healthcare builds, still in its early phases, but already revealing the scope and skill involved.

Geothermal: Not your average hospital

The crown jewel of the tour? A lesson on the site’s geothermal energy system, something no other IU Health hospital has.

Senior project manager Brian Hensler laid it out in simple terms: “We’ve got 300 underground wells, each 500 feet deep. Instead of using electricity to generate heat, we pull it in or push it out of the ground.”

It’s not a gimmick. It’s part of a serious push toward long-term sustainability — and, potentially, lower operating costs for the hospital.

That’s good news for future patients, Hensler says, because it could help reduce healthcare expenses down the line.

“I didn’t even know construction had so many roles.”

One student leaned in close during a talk on HVAC systems, whispering to a friend, “I thought construction was just guys with hammers. But this is like…engineering and math and tech.”

It was a common reaction.

Hensler, who’s been in hospital construction for over a decade, said exposing kids early makes a huge difference.

“At their age, I didn’t know jobs like this even existed,” he said. “It’s not just doctors and nurses. It’s plumbers, architects, mechanical engineers, digital controls. It takes hundreds of people to build a hospital.”

Bullet point: What students saw during their visit

Here’s what stood out to the Boys & Girls Clubs participants during the tour:

• Blueprints and planning dashboards for managing $500M+ infrastructure

• Installation sites for the geothermal wells system

• Interviews with civil engineers, site managers, and project logistics staff

• Overview of career paths ranging from trade apprenticeships to medical tech

• Safety procedures and environmental efficiency briefings

Table: IU Health Allen County Hospital Project Snapshot

The power of a $1 million grant

The grant from the IU Health Foundation didn’t just pay for this one trip. It funded the broader launch of the Career Pathway Center — giving dozens of students year-round exposure to industries they might never have imagined.

Nicholas Gray said the program is growing fast.

“We’re partnering with hospitals, manufacturers, even tech companies. Our goal is to give these kids real options,” he said.

There’s also an intentional focus on underserved youth, many of whom may not have adults in their lives working in STEM or healthcare fields.

“This changes their perspective,” Gray added. “It’s not just theory — it’s happening right in front of them.”

One visit, lasting impact

For many of the kids, it wasn’t just about the hospital or the energy systems. It was the message that they could be part of something this big.

A 15-year-old girl asked Hensler if she needed to go to a four-year college to do his job.

“Not necessarily,” he replied. “There are a lot of paths. Some of the smartest people here started with technical certificates.”

That opened eyes. And maybe a few new dreams.

What’s next for the project?

With construction on track, IU Health expects to open the hospital in late 2026. Until then, project leaders say they’ll continue hosting learning experiences — including potential internships — through the Career Pathway Center.

And as the geothermal system gets connected and the first floors start to rise, the students who visited this week may find themselves driving by in a few years with a different kind of pride.

“Hey,” one of them might say, “I saw that before it even had walls.”