Education has shifted for everyone. Just a few months ago, most learning for Stark preschool through higher education was on a specific schedule in a school building. Now, with the stay at home order, innovative educators have ensured that learning continues in new ways, any time, any place.

Like business and agency leaders across Stark County, students are becoming very comfortable using meeting platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts. These platforms allow students to connect with their teachers and classmates for instruction and a wide variety of activities and supports. At the college level, lab kits are being created and sent to students who are then asked to submit a video of themselves completing the lab. Times are changing.

On April 23, the first Smart Stark Virtual College Tour was hosted for students and parents in East Canton. To comply with the current social-distancing restrictions, creative college and university partners invited attendees to participate via Facebook or YouTube. Students and parents learned about the wealth of diverse college options in Stark County and the surrounding regions. College/ university students and staff offered brief presentations covering topics like majors, affordability, financial aid, internships and job placement and then closed with a Q & A session. Next week – on May 6th from 3-4pm – a larger countywide Smart Stark Virtual College Tour event will take place.

On April 29th, Strengthening Stark and the Stark Education Partnership co-hosted a virtual Stark Tank event with four local investor “sharks” and nine entrepreneurial student teams. After March’s original face-to-face competition had to be cancelled, organizers, sharks, students and their coaches embraced the opportunity to be innovators in this alternate virtual environment. GlenOak junior, Cloee Snyder, won first place with her Vacc -U-Tree invention and intends to use the $2,000 prize to seek a patent. Two other teams – North Canton City School's Screen Break and Lake Local's Color Wall – tied for second place winning $1,000 each.

Canton City Students Share Inspiring Stories

Throughout this pandemic, students have demonstrated remarkable resilience. Check out three inspirational messages from McKinley High School seniors – Madeline Dodson, Julia Cheatham and Courtland Faulkner –participating in the 2020 Pulse Series as they share uplifting stories of personal triumph.