Industry Features, Press Releases & Impact on Students, Schools and Communities
OPINION: Students will move forward post-pandemic if we give them new pathways and opportunities
The pandemic took the lives of hundreds of thousands of family members. It led to a troubling rise in mental health issues, a so-called second pandemic. And during periods of remote and hybrid instruction, academic progress for many students stalled, particularly for those who were already struggling.

Immokalee High School on Entrepreneurship and Projects That Serve Community
On this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, Shawnee is joined by a superstar team of students and teachers from Immokalee High School, Collier County Public Schools. Falia Justima is an educator at Immokalee High School in Collier County Public Schools in Naples.

Final Pitch Night shines light on high school entrepreneurs
When Evan Minnis heard about a national entrepreneurship program that was launching at Tavares High School and Eustis High School last fall, he knew he wanted to be part of it.

Grand Island Public entrepreneurs show business knowhow… and no fear
Being an entrepreneur entails creativity, problem solving and patience.

In ‘Shark Tank’ style, Kempsville students to pitch business plans to all-star judges including Youngkin and a music producer
VIRGINIA BEACH — Five teams of young entrepreneurs will pitch their business ideas to a host of experts including Gov. Glenn Youngkin and music producer Chad Hugo during the upcoming INCubatoredu Pitch Night.

Entrepreneurship education won’t save the teaching profession — but it’s a good place to start
Falia Justima teaches entrepreneurship education at Immokalee High School in Florida’s Collier County Public Schools.
Since March 2020, K-12 educators like me have weathered a variety of upheavals — from remote instruction and hybrid classrooms to tackling students’ unmet needs, both academic and social-emotional.
It’s no wonder teachers are struggling to find joy these days, which is impacting teacher turnover. As bad as that is for teachers, it’s even worse for students: Researchers have found teacher turnover negatively impacts student performance, which disproportionately impacts students at low-performing schools.
This is no small matter. Getting kids excited about learning starts with the idea of joy, and joy starts with teachers.

Creating the ‘Ripple’ Effect

Virginia Beach high school students design new surf wax, turning assignment into budding small business
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — From the classroom to the cash register, "Swag Stick" is now on the shelves at Coastal Edge stores.

Nurturing entrepreneurs: Lake Belton High School program to launch in fall
The Belton Independent School District is looking to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs at Lake Belton High School by implementing the INCubatoredu program this upcoming fall.

OPRF students try to help revive local businesses
In a business incubator class, they focused on coming up with ways to help revive local businesses. They saw how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted brick-and-mortar stores in downtown Oak Park, and they just wanted to do something. The end result is The Box: Oak Park, a gift box service catering to area residents.