WORKING ON PROJECT — C.J. Jordan, a senior multimedia and design student at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School, edits footage. With him are senior Madison Grim and MAD instructor Cody LaRue. -- Contributed

BLOOMINGDALE — Multimedia and design students at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School are shining a spotlight on community groups in a joint venture with the Jefferson County Resource Network and Jefferson County Educational Service Center.

MAD instructor Cody LaRue said he met with Beth Rupert Warren, executive director of the resource network, to create a series of videos entitled “Hidden Gems of Jefferson County” to enhance opportunities for the community, and the first episode focuses on the Eastern Ohio ASPIRE program.

ASPIRE is a statewide initiative funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education that offers free adult education services to help individuals improve their academic and workforce skills. LaRue’s students organized and filmed interviews and then performed the final edits.

“We are working in tandem with the Jefferson County ESC and the Jefferson County Resource Network to create a promotional video for the Eastern Ohio ASPIRE Program. We hope to inform the public of the program and highlight the importance of programs like this in enhancing opportunities for the community,” LaRue explained. “We were approached earlier in the year by Beth Rupert Warren and met with the leaders of the program in February, then began filming in April.”

The video centers on ASPIRE’S work to help adults enhance their basic literacy, earn a high school equivalency diploma, learn English or prepare for college and career advancement. Participants may complete reading, writing and math classes; undergo high school equivalency preparation to take GED or HiSET exams; complete English for speakers of other languages courses to improve their use of the language; obtain workforce readiness training in employability skills, computer literacy, and career planning; utilize integrated education and training programs to gain industry-recognized credentials; and gain support in transitioning to post-secondary education, vocational training, or employment opportunities.

LaRue said the production prepared his pupils for future careers by giving them practical experience in the field. He noted that his program has worked with the ESC and the partnership gives his students a chance to showcase their abilities.

“We strive to build a reputation for professional quality work and as such, when the leaders of ASPIRE approached (Rupert Warren) with the desire to create an informational video, she recommended me and my class,” Larue said. “So far, this is only the second video we have produced in conjunction with the ESC, but we have attended community meetings held by the JCRN and have met many other community programs and businesses who are interested in working with us. We intend to continue to highlight more of these clients in the future through the video series.”

Seniors C.J. Jordan, Madison Grim, Briley Blancato, Jacob Kendle and Zachariah Murphy were involved in every aspect of the project, including holding initial meetings with clients to discuss the scope, scheduling interviews, creating the narration script and interview questions and filming on location at JCESC in Steubenville, in Lisbon and at the New Castle School of Trades in East Liverpool.

Students put the finishing touches on the video shortly before school ended and it is available on the resource network website. Some pupils said they enjoyed having the chance to highlight their skills.

“I loved the opportunity to get out of the building and work in the field,” said Jordan. “Everyone was really polite and I had a lot of fun.” “It was great,” added Kendle. “I feel like the work we’ve done is really important, and I take pride in helping people get a second chance at an education.”

Senior Executive Director Karla Gregory-Martin said the free program is available in all 88 Ohio counties and offers flexible class schedules and locations to accommodate adult learners. Instruction is tailored to individual needs and students receive personalized learning plans based on assessments conducted during orientation. There are no income or residency requirements, although students must live, work or be enrolled in post-secondary education in Ohio.

“ASPIRE is a valuable resource for adults seeking to improve their education and employment prospects, offering supportive services to help individuals achieve their personal and professional goals,” she said.

She added that ASPIRE joined JCESC last July and Rupert Warren was instrumental in setting the video collaboration in motion.

“Beth has long been a strong supporter of the ASPIRE program and deeply believes in its mission. She is committed to helping more people understand the life-changing assistance ASPIRE offers to individuals across Jefferson County and all the counties it serves,” Gregory-Martin continued. “She often refers to ASPIRE as one of the county’s hidden gems, and her efforts to connect it with innovative programs like MAD at JVS are a reflection of her dedication to expanding opportunity and awareness.”

She said the video project shined a “well-deserved spotlight” on one of the county’s best-kept secrets and praised the students for their professionalism.

“Through a dynamic and engaging video created in partnership with the talented students of the MAD program at JVS, we aimed to capture the heart of what ASPIRE truly offers: life-changing educational opportunities, second chances and a pathway to success for adults across our communities. This wasn’t just a promotional piece — it was a celebration of resilience, growth, and the power of education to transform lives,” she said. “Thanks to Beth Rupert Warren’s vision and unwavering support, this project became a platform to elevate ASPIRE’s impact and inspire others to take that first step toward a better future. I absolutely loved it. Watching the MAD students bring ASPIRE’s story to life was something special. They really captured the heart of what we do. It was exciting, meaningful, and honestly just felt good to be part of something that helps shine a light on the real impact ASPIRE has. This wasn’t just another project — it felt personal. I’m proud of what we created together.”

Rupert Warren was equally thrilled to see the venture come to fruition. She said she started JCRN two years ago while working for the ESC, beginning with 32 businesses, organizations and agencies and growing to 75 resource categories today that provide valuable support to the community.

“(The MAD program) is doing multiple episodes throughout the year and the first is the ASPIRE program. There are so many resources that people don’t know about. We get 1,200 to 2,500 hits per month on our website and our database has more than 400 emails to share information,” she added. “ASPIRE is part of the ESC and we get to see how it works from the front line. I think one of the biggest hidden gems in Jefferson County is the JVS, and there’s nothing greater than seeing their talent.”

JCESC Superintendent Chuck Kokiko said ASPIRE provided another means to serve the community and he was pleased with the efforts of everyone involved to share the valuable resource. “The Jefferson County Educational Service Center was approached more than a year ago regarding the potential to assume responsibility for the ASPIRE program. In alignment with the board’s vision of serving as a community-centered provider, they enthusiastically embraced this opportunity. Today, we are pleased to observe how various programs are mutually benefiting from this collaboration. For example, students from the JVS are developing a video that will showcase the ASPIRE program on the resource network,” Kokiko concluded. “This initiative helps connect former students with pathways to complete their education, as communicated through the resource network. I would like to express our appreciation to the JCESC board for its foresight and leadership in bringing this initiative together, as well as to the JVS faculty and students for their efforts in creating the video. Additionally, we thank the Jefferson County commissioners for their financial support of the resource network.”

The video can be viewed at jcresourcenetwork.org