Stark Education Partnership Inc

What Stark Education Partnership Inc does

Stark Education Partnership (SEP) is a Canton, Ohio-based nonprofit organization founded in 1989 that operates as a backbone intermediary for career-connected learning (CCL) across Stark County. The organization functions as a "Catalyst | Connector | Cornerstone," coordinating activity among K-12 school districts, local employers (including Marathon Petroleum, Aultman Health, Ohio Gratings, Powell Industries, GBS, and Innis Maggiore), higher education institutions (Kent State Stark, Stark State College, Aultman College), and philanthropic funders such as the Stark Community Foundation and the Ralph L. Wilson Philanthropic Fund. SEP delivers no proprietary technology product; instead, its core offerings are programs and convening services: Stark Career Pathways, Student Academy experiences, the SEP Goals/Targets/Metrics framework, and the Stark County Data Dashboard tracking student transition metrics from kindergarten readiness through college persistence.

SEP's operational stack centers on program design, stakeholder coordination, and data aggregation rather than software products. The Stark County Data Dashboard is its primary data asset, tracking outcomes including a 91.5% high school graduation rate (Class of 2024), 23.6% industry-credential attainment (up from 16.2% in 2022), 83.0% college persistence, and 58.4% 8th grade math success. Career assessment is delivered through YouScience, a third-party aptitude platform used by SEP Career Champs in one-on-one student sessions. The organization has 11-50 employees, is headquartered at 400 Market Avenue North in downtown Canton, and operates exclusively within Stark County, Ohio.

SEP's business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. Revenue is sourced from local foundations and donors — notably the Stark Community Foundation and the Ralph L. Wilson Philanthropic Fund — rather than fees, tuition, or product sales. Go-to-market is relationship-driven: SEP engages school administrators, CTE teachers, employer HR/workforce development contacts, and community foundations through direct outreach, community events (Canton Chamber Quick Connect, Manufacturing Day, Stark Career Pathways Kickoff), newsletters, earned media, and the edpartner.org website. The organization has been recognized for 37+ years of continuous service as a trusted community convener.

Name

Stark Education Partnership Inc

Legal name

Stark Education Partnership, Inc.

Website

https://edpartner.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stark Education Partnership is a Canton, Ohio nonprofit founded in 1989 that serves as a backbone intermediary connecting Stark County K-12 schools, employers, higher education institutions, and philanthropic funders to deliver career-connected learning programs and track student outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services (Nonprofit Education Intermediary)

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Career & Technical Education (CTE) Centers & Programs (EDAJAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Career connected learning
• Workforce development partnerships
• K-12 career pathways
• Education nonprofit intermediary
• Community education collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic/Donor Funding: SEP is a nonprofit organization funded by donors and local foundations. Funding supports career-connected learning programs, operational costs, and partnership coordination. Revenue is philanthropic in nature rather than commercial.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SEP designs and coordinates Career Connected Learning (CCL) programs that link Stark County K-12 schools, colleges, and local employers to help students explore career pathways through aptitude assessments, work-site tours, internships, manufacturing day experiences, and credential attainment programs. The organization also maintains a Stark County Data Dashboard tracking education-to-career transition metrics and serves as the neutral convener for regional foundations and civic partners funding the work.

Product overview

Stark Education Partnership operates as a catalyst organization connecting education, business, civic and community stakeholders to drive career-connected learning. The organization functions as a unified program rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offerings center on the Career Connected Learning (CCL) Programs, which integrate the Stark Career Pathways initiative, Student Academy experiences, and the Stark County Data Dashboard for tracking educational outcomes. SEP serves as a connector and cornerstone for the Stark County region, collaborating with local foundations and nonprofits to implement workforce development strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career Connected Learning (CCL) Programs SEP's core service line that connects Stark County K-12 students with local career opportunities through career pathway development, work-site engagement, aptitude-based career planning, internships, and credential attainment coordination. Designed for K-12 schools, colleges, and employer partners seeking a countywide coordinator for career-connected learning.
• Stark Career Pathways A strategic initiative focused on building career pathways for Stark County students by connecting them with local businesses and workforce development opportunities, including the Stark Career Pathways Kickoff event and related programming.
• Student Academy An educational program offering Stark County students hands-on learning experiences including robotics, career exploration activities, and workplace exposure opportunities (e.g., brain dissection labs at Kent State Stark, Aultman Experience healthcare exposure).
• Stark County Data Dashboard A county-wide student data tracking tool monitoring key education transition points including kindergarten readiness (47.1% on track in 2025, up from 44.2% in 2024), 3rd grade reading proficiency (69.6% in 2025), 8th grade math success (58.4% in 2025), high school graduation (91.5% Class of 2024), and college persistence (83.0% School Year 2023).

Quantifiable outcome

• 23.6% of Stark County students earned industry-recognized credentials in 2024, up from 18.7% in 2023 and 16.2% in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Innis MaggioreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 February 2026Innis Maggiore, a positioning ad agency, announced collaboration with SEP in February 2026 to provide marketing traineeships to local high school students. This partnership gives students real-world marketing experience while supporting SEP's broader career-connected learning mission.
• YouSciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationYouScience provides aptitude and career assessment tools used by SEP Career Champs and Student Advisory Ambassadors to help students discover career matches based on their skills and interests. The platform is referenced as a key tool in career planning conversations with students.
• Kent State StarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKent State Stark partners with SEP to provide hands-on learning experiences for students, such as brain dissection labs. SEP students tour the campus as part of career pathway exploration into healthcare and other fields.
• Stark State CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEP organizes tours of Stark State College for students as part of career pathway exploration, exposing students to higher education and technical training options within Stark County.
• Aultman College / Aultman Health FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAultman College collaborates with SEP on the 'Aultman Experience,' providing healthcare career pathway experiences for students. Aultman College President Jean R. Paddock, PhD, serves on the SEP Board of Directors.
• Marathon PetroleumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarathon hosts internships and Field Day events for SEP students, providing direct exposure to energy sector careers as part of the career pathways program.
• Ohio GratingsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOhio Gratings participates in Manufacturing Day events hosted in partnership with SEP, opening its facilities to students for tours and career exposure in manufacturing.
• Powell IndustriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPowell Industries hosts student tours as part of SEP's career pathways programming, connecting students to manufacturing and industrial career opportunities.
• GBS (Global Business Services)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBS participates in Manufacturing Day tours organized with SEP, exposing students to business services and manufacturing careers in Stark County.
• Alliance Area DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance Area Development is a community partner working with SEP to help students learn about career paths matching their skills and interests, supporting workforce development in the Alliance area.
• Canton Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEP participates in Canton Chamber Quick Connect luncheons and other Chamber events as part of its community engagement and stakeholder networking.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce: Local chamber where SEP is an active community partner; comparable as a regional stakeholder convening employer-school pipelines, though operating as a broader business-membership organization.

Direct peers

• NAF (National Academy Foundation): Operates career academies embedded in high schools with employer and postsecondary partners; comparable to SEP's Stark Career Pathways model linking students to industry pathways.
• SkillsUSA: National CTE student organization focused on industry-recognized credentials, leadership, and work-based learning — closely aligned with SEP's credential-attainment and Manufacturing Day programming.
• Junior Achievement USA: National nonprofit delivering career exploration, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programming to K-12 students through employer partnerships — directly comparable to SEP's CCL and Student Academy offerings.
• StriveTogether: A national network of cradle-to-career community partnerships that operate as backbone intermediaries coordinating education, business, and philanthropic stakeholders — the same role SEP plays at the county level.

Broad incumbents

• CareerSource Florida: Statewide workforce development board operating employer-school pipeline programs; comparable in function to SEP but operating at state scale with broader workforce-services scope.
• National Skills Coalition: Federal policy and advocacy organization promoting equitable skills training and workforce partnerships; comparable as a CTE/workforce intermediary at the policy and systems level.
• Achieving the Dream: National nonprofit network supporting community colleges on student success and workforce-aligned credentials; comparable to SEP's community-college partnerships but focused on higher-ed institutions.
• America's Promise Alliance: National cross-sector alliance focused on youth graduation, college, and career readiness outcomes; comparable as a multi-stakeholder backbone focused on cradle-to-career metrics.

Regional players

• The Manufacturing Institute: Workforce and education arm of the NAM focused on manufacturing career pathways and credentials; comparable to SEP's Manufacturing Day and employer engagement model for the manufacturing sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stark-education-partnership-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stark Education Partnership Inc