In the News
We talked to a nonprofit education support organization Connected Lane County to hear how they are endeavoring to provide relevant education that sets our youth up for success.
Connected Lane County helps extend CTE initiatives outside of public schools
Connected Lane County provides CTE initiatives outside of public schools at its locations, Spark at Booth-Kelly in Springfield and Spark on 7th in Eugene. 3D printers, sowing machines, and laser engravers are just some of the tools used to provide hands-on learning opportunities. To learn more and hear directly from our program staff, check out…
Connected Lane County recieves 15K for economic growth initatives
Connected Lane County received $15,250 as part of a grant from Lane County’s Community & Economic Development Program. These funds will help fuel our industry tours. We partner with rural and metropolitan Lane County schools, educators, and businesses to offer 700 high school students opportunities to explore careers in technology, manufacturing, health, and natural resources.…
Youth particpate in three-day coding and marketing competition called “codeORcreate”
In 2024, we merged codeORcreate and marketingJAM into one exciting weekend competition, celebrating all things creative and innovative. This annual three-day event, open to teams of up to five youths, invites Lane County High School students and Lane Community College students to dive into the worlds of coding, website design, graphic design, game development, marketing,…
Recounting our Year at Connected Lane County
“Over 3,000 youth walk through Connected Lane County’s doors annually. Each youth has a unique goal, whether it’s finding career guidance, gaining hands-on STEM experience, or navigating housing and food assistance. Connected Lane County strives to meet youth where they are through various programs, events, and experiences,” said Eva Camacho. Interested in a comprehensive overview…
Connected Lane County Shares Resources at local Bridge Lane Event
Connected Lane County was happy to participate in Bridge Lane in Junction City, a local event designed to share resources and make connections within our community. To learn more, check out the news coverage below! KMTR: Free Community Event Aims to Break Down Barrier, Promote Growth in Lane County Cottage Grove Sentinel: Bridge Lane Community…
Connected Lane County Youth help create expansive LEGO Model
Last year’s Agency youth pictured above! The Connected Lane County Agency teamed up with PIVOT Architecture and Bricks & Minifigs to create a student-built LEGO model of the new Camas Ridge Community School! The finished model was 3,500 pieces! See the news coverage below! Hands-on: See Camas Ridge fourth graders put together a LEGO model…
Connected Lane County Receives 2.5 Million Dollar Grant to Expand Excelerator Support for Youth with Disabilities
Connected Lane County will receive 2.5 million dollars over the next five years to help support youth with disabilities in the Excelerator programs. This grant is being funded by the US Department of Education and is a subcontract from the University of Oregon. Connected Lane County will receive about $500,000 each year for five years,…
Annual Fix-it Fair is hosted at Connected Lane County’s Spark at Booth-Kelly
Fix-it Fair allows youth and young adults to bring in items that need repair. Local “fixers” provide guidance and teach participants how to fix items that might otherwise be thrown out. See it in the news below! KATU2 Reuse and repair: Learn repair skills at Springfield’s Fix-It Fair this Novemberby News Staff Kezi 9
Connected Lane County helps provides books to more than 2,400 children
BookFest was established seven years ago by Connected Lane County and United Way of Lane County. Each year, elementary school students are able to pick out five free books to keep! Check out the 2024 news coverage below. KEZI 9 News: Lane County’s BookFest 2024 provided books to more than 2,400 childrenBy: Ryan Bonham
Connected Lane County is the beneficiary of Market Fest 2024
Connected Lane County was the nonprofit beneficiary of the 5th annual Market Fest event hosted by Obie Companies at 5th Street Public Market. WaFD bank contributed a $10,000 grant, and Connected Lane County will receive a portion of the proceeds from vendor sales, supporting youth in our community. See it in the news! KEZI 9…
“Sparks” will soon be flying at the Booth-Kelly Center in Springfield — ones that will intersect community, education, and business for the county’s young and underserved population. This spring, Connected Lane County...
Siuslaw’s Business Tech students competed in an event in Eugene from Jan. 20-22. It was Business teacher Eddie Meilke’s team’s first competition — something that clearly had no barring on the team’s ultimate potential.
Between tree farming, horseback riding, sports marketing, construction, coding, computer programming, and more, eighth-graders who attended the Middle School Career Expo each found out about jobs they had never heard of before.
Eighth graders from around Lane County made their way to Spark on 7th to participate in Connected Lane County's annual Middle School Career Exploration event.
— KVAL
"Every child in Oregon deserves an education that will give them an equal shot at success in our modern economy,” Brown said. “A deep understanding of computer science is a critical skill for today’s workforce."
Oregon Governor Kate Brown visited Spark on 7th... She’s dedicating 5 million dollars in emergency education funds to provide grants, with special consideration for programs that reach women, people of color, and rural communities.
— KLCC
BookFest, a community-wide program hosted by United Way of Lane County and Connected Lane County, began in 2018 in response to the gaps in reading scores in local schools. BookFest gets books into the hands of K-2 students around the county.
— KMTR
It all started when Danielle was introduced to Connected Lane County and their Navigate Program, which provides workforce development training opportunities to young people ages 14-24. They helped her land a job at St. Vincent DePaul, and explore...
With the help of a local construction company, one 17-year-old is gaining hands-on experience that is helping him understand and discover a career path that fits best for him.
— KEZI
From Dec. 3 through Dec. 5, the Siuslaw business and technology program competed in the annual codeORcreate Hack-a-thon. This is the third consecutive year the team has entered this competition. This is also the third straight year SHS has taken 1st place honors in the category of game design and development.
Spark on 7th is Connected Lane County’s new space where community, education, and industry come together to support Lane County youth for invention, education, and career-connected learning. Spark on 7th has hosted a number of tech industry partners and collaborations including Trifoia, CodeNinjas, Palo Alto Software, Hunter Communications, Pronoia Tools
— Sally Bell, Technology Association of Oregon
We focus on STEM, Career Connected Learning, Early Literacy, and education and workforce re-engagement. In July 2021, we opened a new space in downtown Eugene called Spark on 7th. Spark on 7th is a place where community, education, and industry come together to support Lane County youth.
Oregon Community Foundation's IGNITE program inspires regional partnerships to increase STEM opportunities for youth that experience the opportunity gap.
Inspired by the local efforts of Connected Lane County and Youth Era, Hunter Communications decided to donate internet and phone service, as well as sound devices to Connected Lane County’s new Spark on 7th building and Youth Era’s Drop-in Shelter.
Connected Lane County opened Spark on 7th in 2021 to help teach youth technical skills. Spark on 7th is the newest — and largest to date — initiative by Connected Lane County, a local nonprofit focused on improving student success for historically underserved populations around Lane County.
— Becky-Jo Samples for City of Eugene Downtown News
The buzz in the room was palpable—30 students tinkering, creating, programming, and learning about technology. They were part of Spark on 7th’s first camp, an invention lab where students were tasked to invent a new technology following an air quality theme, mentored by local industry professionals.
Media Inquiries
If you need information for newspaper, TV, radio, or other media reports, contact Becky-Jo Samples, Marketing Director, at [email protected].