AKRON, Ohio – Akron Public Schools will launch a new college and career academy focused on media and marketing in partnership with Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Cuyahoga Valley National Park Academy of Global Media and Marketing at Ellet High School on Akron’s east side will provide students with learning opportunities in the communication field, the school district said in a news release.

“The relationship between Akron Public Schools and the Cuyahoga Valley dates back to the 1930s, when children from Akron Public Schools attended camp at Happy Days Lodge,” Superintendent David James said in a statement.

CVNP and the National Park Service are building on that legacy by giving students in the academy “relevant, real-world experiences to help them to be prepared for their futures,” James said.

“We are pleased to build on our long relationship with the Akron Public Schools to provide authentic learning experiences for their students,” said Deb Yandala, CEO for the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “In addition to being a national treasure, our national park is a tremendous resource for our region and we are pleased to connect students with all that it has to offer.”

Akron’s College and Career Academies program, which is currently at a handful of schools, will expand for the 2019-2020 school year to all high school students in the district. Students can choose from one of 57 paths to a field and focus their education, James said last month at his State of the Schools address.

Akron Public Schools was designated as a Ford Next Generation Learning Community in May 2017. Ford Company Fund, the philanthropic division of the Ford Motor Company, is supporting the transformation of public high schools into career-themed academes to better prepare students for college and professional success.

College and Career Academies are supported by the GAR Foundation, United Way of Summit County, ConxusNEO, Summit Education Initiative and Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce.

The United Way links the College and Career Academies program with local businesses and organizations, including CVNP, to provide hands-on learning experiences for students, which also strengthens the education-to-employment pipeline in Summit County, the school district said in a news release.

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