Attorney Wayne Hogan was pleased to help support the Schultz Center’s EdSpark Initiative. Wayne donated underwriting spots on WJCT 89.9 FM to get the word out about EdSpark. EdSpark will curate a One Spark Venue where creators with education-related projects can exhibit at One Spark, the World’s Crowdfunding Festival, held April 9-13, 2014 in downtown Jacksonville.
On Tuesday, November 12^th, Deborah Gianoulis Heald spoke to Melissa Ross on WJCT’s First Coast Connect about EdSpark. One Spark Teams With Schultz Center On EdSpark Venue For Education Creator
The EdSpark initiative will open on December 1^st and run through January 31^st.  The Schultz Center will hold an EdSpark Open House on Friday, January 7, 2014 between 5:00-7:00pm to help answer questions from teachers, parents, students and other participants.  Students are paired with an adult mentor on their projects or must be a part of a team that includes adults in order to participate in EdSpark curated creator Projects.
“We’re strongly committed to public service, and believe giving back to the community is an important part of our profes­sional respon­si­bility,” said Wayne Hogan, president of Terrell • Hogan. One Spark is about connecting ideas to resources, and the belief that those ideas can come from anywhere. The Schultz Center’s unwavering commitment to innovation, makes it the perfect place create a venue for education-based projects like EdSpark.
“We couldn’t be more excited to become a part of this creative festival,” said Deborah Gianoulis Heald, president and CEO of the Schultz Center. “One Spark is an ideal environment for teachers, parents and others interested in innovation in education to bring their ideas, projects, concepts and products to life. In addition, it opens One Spark to students under 18 and provides them with a platform to dream big and out of the box on anything in which they have an interest. We know the next great innovations already exist in  our classrooms and schools.  The Schultz Center launch of EdSpark, the education innovation venue of One Spark , gives us the chance to showcase some the best ideas here at home and around the world.”
Keep up with information about EdSpark by visiting our websites: www.schultzcenter.org or www.edsparkjax.org. Also, for the latest updates we encourage you to visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/schultzcenter.
One Spark touches off EdSpark; kids to compete for crowd-funding
 Q&A Fact Sheet
 What is EdSpark? Beginning in 2014, EdSpark, an initiative of the Schultz Center, will curate a One Spark Venue where Creators with education-related Projects can exhibit at One Spark, The World’s Crowdfunding Festival, held April 9-13, 2014 in downtown Jacksonville.
Who is eligible to participate?  Individuals (educators, family members, others) or teams with ideas for innovative practices that will enhance student learning in the classroom, throughout a school or district are encouraged to participate in One Spark and choose innovation as their category. All student Projects in the areas of Art, Innovation, Music, Science and Technology that meet One Spark criteria will be considered for the EdSpark Venue.
Where is the Special EdSpark Venue? All One Spark Creators curated by EdSpark will display their Projects in a centrally-located building in downtown Jacksonville. The exact venue will be announced shortly.
How else will EdSpark be a part of the One Spark Festival? In addition to adult and student Creators, EdSpark will recruit student performers from throughout the region to our venue downtown during the five days of One Spark. The Schultz Center will serve as a staging area for all school field trips to connect with a personal One Spark Volunteer Guide to tour the festival.
Why is the Schultz Center undertaking EdSpark? Since its founding in 2002, the Schultz Center has embraced the notion of innovation through collaboration.  Upon visiting One Spark in its inaugural year, we immediately saw the potential to build upon its concept to move education forward, both for educators and for students. We expect EdSpark to be the catalyst for students who have ideas about everything and for parents, educators and others who will be essential to the next generation of Schultz Center work.
Who benefits from EdSpark? Everyone! Adult and student One Spark Creators will benefit from the experience and from exposure to the 150,000 people expected to attend the 2014 festival. One Spark Creators exhibiting at the EdSpark Venue will also be competing for part of One Spark’s $300,000 crowdfund and bonus prizes. Northeast Florida schools benefit by witnessing and experiencing the innovative concepts and ideas the Creators and their Projects will propose. The community as a whole benefits when our educators and students are excited about teaching and learning.
Where can I learn more about EdSpark? Keep up with information about EdSpark by visiting our websites: www.schultzcenter.org or www.edsparkjax.org. Also, for the latest updates we encourage you to visit us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/schultzcenter), Twitter (@SchultzCenter) and Instagram (schultzcenter) using #EdSpark.
About the Schultz Center: The Schultz Center is dedicated to developing and delivering the best educational practices, maximizing effective and efficient use of resources, and coordinating the collaboration of regional assets. The Center is designed to enhance the professional skills of all education professionals. An independent, non-profit corporation, the Schultz Center provides professional development services to the surrounding Florida counties with the goal of raising student achievement.
In addition, the Schultz Center is a state-of-the-art training and conference facility based on the design of Fortune 500 corporate training facilities.  Spacious, elegant, and equipped with top of the line furniture, equipment, and technology, the Center is an accessible, affordable and available venue for training and conferences of all sizes. Visit us at www.schultzcenter.org  or call (904) 348-5757 for more information.
Schultz Center Announces New Initiative with One Spark Festival ─ Education Component Seeks to Inspire Educators & Students

JACKSONVILLE, FL- November 12, 2013—At a news conference held this morning, the Schultz Center announced the launch of EdSpark, an umbrella under which Creators with education-related Projects will participate in One Spark, The World’s Crowdfunding Festival, held April 9-13, 2014 in downtown Jacksonville. The Schultz Center is dedicated to raising student achievement through professional development services for educators in Northeast Florida and beyond.
“We couldn’t be more excited to become a part of this creative festival,” said Deborah Gianoulis Heald, President and CEO of the Schultz Center. “One Spark is an ideal environment for teachers, parents and others interested in innovation in education to bring their ideas, Projects, concepts and products to life. In addition, it opens One Spark to students under 18 and provides them with a platform to dream big and out of the box on anything in which they have an interest.”
Students must work with an adult mentor on their Projects or be a part of a team that includes adults in order to participate in EdSpark curated creator Projects.
“One Spark is all about connecting ideas to resources, and the belief that those ideas can come from anywhere,” said One Spark Executive Director Joe Sampson. “With their unwavering commitment to innovation, it makes a lot of sense for The Schultz Center to curate a venue for education-based creator Projects at One Spark 2014. We’re excited to engage the educational community via EdSpark, and look forward to seeing their Projects in April. With $300,000 in guaranteed crowdfunding and juried awards, and millions in potential capital funding committed, anything is possible.” EdSpark will have its own venue for all student and education-related Projects in a very centrally-located building in downtown Jacksonville. Final arrangements for the location are being made and an announcement will be made shortly.
Creator registration for One Spark, including EdSpark, will open on December 1^st and run through January 31^st. To help encourage EdSpark Projects and answer questions from teachers, parents, students and others, the Schultz Center will hold an EdSpark Open House on Friday, January 7, 2014 between 5:00-7:00pm. More information about this event will be announced in the coming weeks.
Keep up with news about EdSpark on Facebook (www.facebook.com/schultzcenter), Twitter (@SchultzCenter) and Instagram (schultzcenter) using #EdSpark.
About the Schultz Center:  The Schultz Center is dedicated to developing and delivering the best educational practices, maximizing effective and efficient use of resources, and coordinating the collaboration of regional assets. The Center is designed to enhance the professional skills of all education professionals. An independent, non-profit corporation, the Schultz Center provides professional development services with the goal of raising student achievement.
 In addition, the Schultz Center is a state-of-the-art training and conference facility based on the design of Fortune 500 corporate training facilities.  Spacious, elegant, and equipped with top of the line furniture, equipment, and technology, the Center is an accessible, affordable and available venue for training and conference of all sizes. Visit us at www.schultzcenter.org  or call (904) 348-5757 for more information.