Another momentous ribbon-cutting ceremony took place recently at Cleveland State University when JumpStart Cleveland—a nationally recognized entrepreneur support organization that equips tech startups and small businesses with the skills, services, and support they need to grow and thrive—announced the launch of the Verizon Community Forward Learning Center at CSU.

The CSU location is the third of its kind in the area—the others are located in at the Cleveland Clark-Fulton Learning Center in the Cleveland Public Library and Union-Miles Learning Center located inside the Earle B. Turner Recreation Center. 
 

Positioned in Julka Hall, the center offers free tutoring and support programs for K-12 students across the region, amongst other benefits.

JumpStart CEO Julia Jacono is excited about the partnership and feels it’s an opportunity to amplify what’s been accomplished at the other two existing Verizon Community Forward Learning Centers.

“Together, we are doubling down on technology, expertise and community-focused programming to meet the evolving needs of students, residents and entrepreneurs across Northeast Ohio,” she said. 

What makes the center at CSU unique is the fact that it features expanded resources to serve a broader audience, including college students, adult learners and local small business owners. 

Some of the benefits include:

• Technology-Driven Learning: State-of-the-art tools to support K-12 students in STEM education and digital skills.

• Expanded Workforce Development: Programs offering credentials, workforce readiness, and upskilling for adult learners and college students.

• Entrepreneurship Support: Technology and training to empower small business owners with the resources they need to grow sustainable ventures.

“I couldn’t be more honored and prouder to be in this partnership with Cleveland State,” said Jocono. “We are going to make a whole generation of young people excited and interested in technology in ways that maybe traditional book learning never could. We are going to greet the next entrepreneurs and give them the tools that they need to become the next CEO’s of Verizon. It is through technology that we see transformation occur.”
 

Launching the third learning center expands access to technology, digital literacy, and workforce development programming – resources that have proven critical for community residents at the first two centers. The collaboration ensures a sustainable and scalable impact, harnessing the unique strengths of all organizations to meet the growing needs of Northeast Ohio’s diverse population. For more information and to learn more, be sure to visit communityforwardcle.com.

CSU Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Nigamanth Sridhar said this will do nothing but bring immense value to Northeast Ohio.

“Cleveland State is incredibly honored and thrilled to be the home to JumpStart’s third Verizon Community Forward Learning Center and the first one on a four-year public university campus,” he said. “Earlier this year, at the beginning of 2025, we launched our new strategic plan, Cleveland State United [and in] that strategic plan, we established a new vision that says this will be a place where everyone thrives. Collaborating with community is our first value so that partnership that we are launching here today is an absolute manifestation of that collaboration with community and inviting community to come in here.”  

Councilman Richard Starr was on hand representing Cleveland City Council’s Ward 5. He said he is extremely excited about what the center has to offer the community.

“I’m just honored and thrilled to welcome on this partnership [and] for me to stand here today in 2025, to see this happen at Cleveland State, this just shows the impact of having great leaders and great partners coming together,” he said. “[They] understand what it takes to move our city forward and making sure our entrepreneurship understands that, ‘you don’t have to work for somebody, you can actually be the one to open the doors for others.”

Towards the end of the ceremony, State Representative Bride Rose Sweeney presented CSU with a proclamation, stating that days such as the dedication aren’t a sure thing and only happened thanks to all the speakers who were present and contributed to making the Verizon Community Forward Learning Center a reality.

“One of the best tools you can not only give a student but a community is the tools to give them their life that they want themselves,” she said.

“We present this [proclamation] to Cleveland State on behalf of the House and the Senate.”