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Inside the Canyons Innovation Center, a solution to America’s broken school-to-work pipeline

Walk into a traditional classroom almost anywhere in America and you will see a familiar scene: desks in rows and students sitting face-forward, learning largely the way their grandparents did. Outside those classroom walls, however, the world those students are preparing to enter has fundamentally changed.

America is re-onshoring industries and rediscovering the dignity of what it means to make things again. Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping how work gets done. At the same time, the industries defining the next century of American competitiveness — advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, robotics, energy, cybersecurity, and engineering — face a talent pipeline crisis.

The country is at a reckoning point, one that requires public education to evolve to start preparing students as early as high school for immediate entry into these high-wage, high-demand careers, said Canyons District Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. “Academic achievement is always going to be at the heart of what we do. But we really do need to lean into this philosophy of workforce readiness.”

That is the premise behind the Canyons Innovation Center, a high-tech, profession-based learning center coming in August 2027 to the former regional headquarters of eBay in Draper. The facility is not a school in the traditional sense. It is an R&D-inspired environment where students work with professionals to solve real-world business problems while earning college credit and industry certifications, and developing the work habits and skills that employers say they so desperately need.

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Long before Jordan High Choir Director Jaron Putnam ever stood in front of a choir, music was already shaping who he would become.

“One of my first memories of being a human being was singing "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with my family,” Putnam says. “My dad sang in a barbershop quartet growing up and so my siblings were harmonizing, and I just was surrounded by harmony from a very early age.”

That foundation — music as connection and shared purpose — is what Putnam now works to cultivate in Jordan High’s Madrigals, a group that has grown into one of the state’s most accomplished musical ensembles. Whether performing at local events and spreading holiday cheer throughout the community, or competing on prestigious stages, the Jordan Madrigals are demonstrating how music education can open doors in school, work, and life.

The ensemble has taken home top marks in the Utah high school Shakespeare Festival, and is preparing to compete at the San Diego Heritage Festival, where choirs from across the country are evaluated against national adjudication standards.

But accolades are only part of the story.

In the latest episode of Connect Canyons, Putnam is joined by Madrigal members Katie Barnes, Adam Lindsay, Evelyn Shore, John Hamm, and Titus Tyler who reflect on how being part of the choir has shaped their confidence, discipline, and a sense of belonging in the Beetdigger community. Students describe finding their voices — sometimes literally for the first time — while learning how to work as a team and master skills to develop the courage to perform under pressure.

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Quarterback-to-Quarterback: CCHS grad and NY Giants QB Jaxson Dart speaks to Superintendent Robins about his time as a Charger, the lessons he’s learned through playing football, and what it’s like to hit the NFL field against the world’s very best.

The former Corner Canyon High gunslinger now in his rookie year as a New York Giant says the Chargers’ selection to vie for a national football title will raise the profile of all powerhouse prep programs in the Beehive State. “What an opportunity to represent ­— obviously the school district, but also the whole state of Utah,” says Jaxson Dart, the 25thoverall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, during this week’s episode of Connect Canyons. “I feel like this state is very unappreciated when it comes to a national landscape of talent.” As one of Canyons District’s most high-profile graduates, Dart took a few moments out of his packed schedule as Big Blue’s starting quarterback to complete a quarterback-to-quarterback conversation with Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins, whose play at Southern Utah University earned him a spot in the school’s Hall of Fame. In the episode, Dart, who also is the nephew of Corner Canyon High Assistant Principal Katie Campbell, reflected with Dr. Robins on Dart’s prep and college careers, the influence that CCHS Eric Kjar’s had on his life, and what it’s like to compete against the world’s best at MetLife Stadium.

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For most people, if you need a pencil or a binder, it's a quick trip to the store or an even faster click of a button. But what if you need hundreds of pencils or electronic devices for a classroom? That's where Canyon School District's Purchasing Department comes into play.

“Our department handles anything a school could need,” says Canyons Purchasing Director Nancy Webb. “Whether it’s student furniture, food or pencils, contracts, special education counselors, or even medical insurance.”

Webb says CSD’s purchasing agents are there to help schools and teachers with everything from basic needs to helping to navigate larger purchases. As classrooms update and evolve, some items are upgraded or no longer needed, and the department has come up with a way to ensure they don’t go unused.

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One of the storylines swirling Friday’s 6A semifinal battle between perennial powerhouse Corner Canyon and the on-the-rise Mountain Ridge is a good-natured question of allegiances: Which team will Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins be cheering for during the 11 a.m. battle at the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Will Dr. Robins, a Hall of Fame quarterback for Southern Utah University, be cheering for the Chargers in the playoffs? Or will he be donning the colors of the Sentinels, the team coached by his son, Nick?

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According to a recent Forbes article – Research has found students who participate in theater programs exhibit higher scores on standardized critical thinking tests than those who do not – Not to mention it’s just fun to step into the shoes of different characters and worlds.

As all of Canyons School District’s five traditional high schools prepare for their fall musicals, on the latest episode of Connect Canyons we sit down with Alta High Theater Director Linze Struiksma, and two senior thespians, Kaylee Cannon and Taylor Fairbourn, as they prepare for the Hawk’s production of “Hadestown: Teen Edition”.

To say we live in a digital age has become a bit of a cliché – but it’s true. From how we schedule appointments or make a reservation – to how our vehicles operate – to devices on our wrists and in our pockets – Technology has become a major part of our day-to-day lives.

The same can be said for children – According to a 2025 study by the Pew Research Center – Nine-in-10 parents of children ages 12 and younger – say their child watches TV – 68-percent say their children use a tablet and 61-percent use a smartphone – And that’s just 12 and under. Pew Research also found 96 -percent of teens across the country say they use the internet every day, if not “almost constantly”.

Here in the Beehive state, we are no strangers to volunteering. Utah consistently tops the nation when it comes to donating time to help others. In the Canyon School District, our community goes above and beyond to volunteer in our schools in a variety of ways.

In this latest episode of Connect Canyons, we hear from two members of the Canyons community who have dedicated countless hours to schools throughout the District – Jessica Davies, and Teneil Hansen. Davies began volunteering to be near her children and has since spent more than a decade in various positions from volunteer, to currently serving as the Central Elementary PTA Council President. Davies was also the 2024 Canyons Apex Volunteer of the Year. Hansen is no stranger to helping out in the classroom, volunteering for more than 15 years, and now service as a member of the Alta High School PTSA, as well as Secondary Council PTA Secretary.