GOAL Digital Academy students travel to nation's capital

MANSFIELD – Earlier this month, GOAL Digital Academy students in the JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates) program had an opportunity to participate in the National Student Leadership Academy (NSLA) in Washington, D.C. This is the third time GOAL has sent students to this conference.

GOAL Digital Academy ensures each student graduates with top skills and attributes by offering a blended learning model where students receive face-to-face adult support to help them learn, set goals and prepare for their futures. Instead of moving to online platforms, students have options that take them outside the classroom and into the real world. 

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, GOAL sent five students and chaperones Tish Jenkins, JAG executive director for North Central District and GOAL superintendent; Keith Willis, GOAL JAG teacher; Gregg Snnoffer, GOAL American and world history teacher and former JAG teacher at the Delaware Area Career Center; and Stephanie Bowers, GOAL intervention specialist. Six other students joined them (two from Northmor, two from Mount Gilead, and two from Delaware Hayes) to represent the North Central District of the Ohio Career Association.

To be selected for the conference, students were required to complete an application process, have above-average grades, and get a recommendation from a GOAL staff member who works at the student’s local lab and their GOAL mentor. The students selected are the officers of their local National Career Association (NCA) chapter. The NCA is the organization linked to JAG that provides students with unique experiences through experiential learning, real-world applicability and networking. JAG hosts approximately 450 students each year.

Willis said the primary focus of the conference is to help students develop their leadership skills through workshops and team-building activities. The students also have the opportunity to network not only with other students from around the country, but also with corporate and community leaders, lawmakers and the leaders of the JAG National organization. 

“The conference gave students the skills they needed to return to their home school and take on a leadership role in the GOAL chapter of the Career Association," Willis said. "For many of our students, it was the first time they have ever left their hometown, the first time on a plane and the first time away from their parents.”

The students were tested right away as they ran into some traveling snags. Bowers said their original flight was canceled after already going through security. 

“Thankfully, the Southwest crew knew how to help,” Bowers said. “We were able to find a flight to Baltimore, and then we had a shuttle ride to Washington, D.C. The students were all so calm during all of this, and we got through it and made it safely to D.C.”

When they got to D.C., they not only attended leadership sessions and workshops, but students also had the opportunity to explore the nation’s capital and participate in social events hosted by JAG. For example, students attended a formal awards luncheon, participated in a networking social, and attended the Stars and Stripes dance. 

Bowers said another highlight was a bus tour around the city. 

“We were able to go to Arlington Cemetery, where we saw the changing of the guard and the wreath-laying ceremony," Bowers said. "We then went to the WWII Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War memorial and the Vietnam War memorial. The students also had the opportunity to walk to the Washington Monument and explore different museums, including the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.”

Several students participated in a “live lesson” with Snouffer and Willis to share their experiences in Washington, D.C., hosted directly from the steps of the Capitol Building, with other students back in Ohio in Snouffer’s American history class. This was provided via GOAL online, an innovative way for students to access exciting learning opportunities without leaving home (or the Learning Lab).

Throughout the trip, the growth and excitement in the students became visible. 

“On the first day, the students hardly talk to each other, don’t ask many questions and are reluctant to participate in activities,” Willis said. “By the last day, they have become good friends with students in our group and students from other states. They ask questions about what is going on around them, they are much more engaged and they are truly interested in becoming leaders.

“When we returned, I was asked by a couple about attending again, even though they were graduating. We are so proud of all these students and glad we all had this opportunity.”

GOAL Digital Academy serves 12 Central Ohio counties with seven learning labs. It celebrates students’ diverse learning styles, interests and talents by going beyond academics and providing students with well-rounded opportunities to meet new people and engage in their passions. In addition, GOAL offers regular family education and networking opportunities, and continually works to remove family or community barriers that impact student success.