National Highlights: January 2026
Innovation in Action
Each month, we celebrate the stories of Innovation Accelerator teachers and students making a difference across Indiana and beyond. This is the beyond!
Quick Hits:
Students pitch solutions to real-world challenges, learn social media from Max Mihro, and hear from alum working in Sierra Leone
All six entrepreneurship sections approved for early college credit through Quincy College
High Energy Learning at Perkiomen Valley
Pennsylvania: Garreth Heidt at Perkiomen Valley High School
December brought a packed schedule of presentations and learning opportunities to Garreth Heidt's NOVA Lab. From student pitches addressing real community challenges to insights from social media expert Max Mihro and a return visit from alumna Julia Killar, the energy was high and the learning was real.
Solving Real Problems with Build.org
Students presented their designed solutions to build.org's "Build Design Challenge" at Fluxspace. The challenge was two-and-a-half weeks long and taught students about design thinking by asking them to develop entrepreneurial solutions to everyday challenges in their communities. For instance, in the photo above, a community garden for a client who is seeking to improve the health of his family and friends was pitched.
To develop their pitch, the solutions students develop follow a story framework, as seen on the chalkboard to the left. After lunch, students conveyed their own, self-determined learning projects through a modified elevator pitch format similar to what's used in the STARTedUP curriculum.
That day, pitches ranged from community gardens to veteran storytelling initiatives with comfort packages.
Learning from Max Mihro
Max Mihro visited to share insights about managing social media and building authentic followings, a challenge many student entrepreneurs face. The presentation resonated strongly with students, many of whom connected with Max afterward to continue learning. Students reflected on the experience through Unrulr, our partner platform for guided reflection, where they captured the energy and takeaways from Max's visit!
An Alumna Returns
Former NOVA Lab student Julia Killar returned to share her work with the Mothers of Sierra Leone (MOSL) public health project at Lehigh University. Julia tailored her presentation to show how the skills she developed in NOVA Lab directly prepared her for this deeply empathetic, story-driven work. Students immediately recognized the connection between their classroom projects and Julia's real-world impact, gaining perspective on how long meaningful work takes to develop and the value of working with real people rather than hypothetical scenarios.
For more details on the December events, read Garreth's full blog post here.
Opening Doors to College Credit
Massachusetts: Jacqueline Collins at Mansfield High School
Jacqueline Collins achieved something she's been working toward for years: all six sections of her entrepreneurship course are now approved for early college credit through Quincy College. Every student this year will earn three transferable college credits at no cost.
The approval process required Collins to submit her course syllabus to Quincy College to ensure alignment with their offerings. Her entrepreneurship course and just one English course in the building received approval. Collins also had to be approved as an adjunct professor by submitting her résumé.
Now, any student who earns 73% or higher in her entrepreneurship class will receive three college credits that transfer to nearly any college in Massachusetts. Thanks to a grant, there's no cost to students.
The approval came with a bonus: it was made retroactive for the current semester, meaning students already enrolled benefited immediately. While Collins navigated finals week and prepared for new classes, she reflected on what this milestone means: "I'm incredibly grateful it worked out for this year."
For her students, entrepreneurship class just became even more valuable. They're not only learning to think like founders, they're earning college credit while doing it!
