Expand. Grow. Build.
OUR STORY
In a world where so many young people feel disconnected, underprepared, and uncertain about their future, Ignite Academy is lighting the way forward.
Formerly known as the Defiance Dream Center, our organization began in 2017 with a bold mission: to restore hope and help individuals uncover their purpose. It started in response to some of the greatest needs in our community, including workforce development, transportation, and support for students facing barriers and risk factors. Over the years, we have taught everything from changing a tire to preparing for job interviews—not just to build skills, but to build confidence, character, and connection.
Now, that mission is expanding, and so is the impact.
Reimagined as Ignite Academy, this growing initiative combines the transformative principles of Wildfire Leadership that help uncover purpose and unleash potential with a proven model for individual and community growth.
Drawing from Wildfire’s powerful tools, the Mission Portrait and 7 Igniters, Ignite Academy helps students identify their strengths, clarify their purpose, and connect their personal vision to their future. These tools help point each student in the right direction, equipping them with clarity about their design and next steps.
Building upon that foundation, Ignite integrates workforce development, career readiness, coaching, mentoring, goal setting, and action planning to meet students where they are and guide them toward meaningful, sustainable success.
Through classroom instruction, after-school programs, mobile outreach, and partnerships with schools, courts, and employers, Ignite Academy equips students with the tools and confidence to take their next right step.
In collaboration with partners such as Defiance City Schools, Northwest State Community College, and Keller Trucking, students are earning credentials in construction, electrical, healthcare, finance, and automotive. They are not just learning how to work; they are learning how to lead, how to belong, and how to build lives filled with purpose.
AS ONE STUDENT SHARED:
“I learned skills I need every day, but what I loved most was gaining a family.”
A MODEL FOR COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE
What began in Defiance has become a model that is ready to multiply.
Today, Ignite Academy is gaining momentum beyond Defiance County, with new partnerships and interest forming in other communities that see the value of equipping students through purpose, mentorship, and workforce readiness. Each new opportunity is uniquely shaped to reflect the needs and strengths of its local community while maintaining the same foundational model that is rooted in relationships, built for growth, and designed to last.
Together, these efforts are forming a growing network of hope, purpose, and opportunity, empowering students and communities to thrive.
We invite you to be part of this growing movement. If you are interested in bringing an Ignite Academy to your community, contact us to learn how to get started.
Together, we can expand vision, grow purpose, and build hope in the next generation.