Clermont County students will soon have the opportunity to develop storytelling and media skills thanks to the approval of the Navigate Content Creator Program by the Clermont Educational Service Center.
The ten-week program, scheduled to begin January 29, 2026, will be available to three to five representatives from each school. Designed to support creative writers, influencers, and future media professionals, the course focuses on skill-building and collaboration.
Small group lessons.The Navigate Content Creator Program encourages students to connect with peers while learning best practices in media and communications. Over the course of ten weeks, participants move through three key phases: foundational skills, hands-on content creation, and audience building.
Bob Pautke, CEO of Connect Clermont, spoke about the importance of these educational programs.
“The purpose is really two-fold. One is to help give students skills to become better content creators, to be able to tell stories,” Pautke said. “The second goal is to publish those stories.”
Student creators learning the basics of the craft.Connect Clermont developed the Navigate Content Creator program as part of its Good Work initiative. The website will feature some of these student-created stories, giving published students a body of work they can use for current or future portfolios.
The program follows a week-by-week syllabus that may vary from school to school. The Work-based Learning Committee coordinates with each location to determine what the students need and how best to help them succeed.
Classes will begin at the end of January, with weekly virtual meetings starting at noon. Early sessions focus on building a personal brand, exploring potential career paths, and developing a content strategy.
These foundational weeks help students identify their interests and the skills they want to improve. The curriculum also emphasizes cross-industry, transferable skills, allowing students to adjust their career goals as they continue their education.
During the middle portion of the program, students will gain practical experience creating content. Instruction will include how to develop compelling written pieces and storytelling visually across multiple platforms.
Students may explore a variety of media paths, including:
Collaboration is a key component of this phase, helping students build professional communication skills while forming connections with classmates.
Students will focus on professional networking and audience engagement in the final weeks. Lessons include analyzing data, tracking trends, and understanding how to connect with audiences; skills that extend well beyond media careers.
By the end of the program, participants will have the confidence and experience needed to pursue future opportunities as storytellers and creators.
Seminars guide future content creators.Content Creator Conferences offer students key opportunities to attend seminars, present their projects, and network with peers and media professionals. Connect Clermont has hosted two conferences in recent years. 250 students from each school participated in the 2025 conference.
Plans are underway for a larger conference this winter, with participation expected from elementary, middle, and high schools across the county.
Feedback from schools has been positive. Goshen Local Schools Superintendent Brian Bailey praised the initiative during a recent interview.
“There are so many great opportunities today that Connect Clermont has created,” Bailey said. “We appreciate everything that’s being done for our kids.”
Students and teachers gather for classes.As the new school year approaches, Connect Clermont will continue to share updates about the Navigate Content Creator Program.
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