The Clay Center in Charleston hosted the Education Alliance’s 2025 West Virginia Education Summit on Thursday. The event focused on building partnerships between schools and businesses to create lasting career opportunities for students.
The keynote speaker was Jennifer Garner. She is an actress, co-owner of Once Upon a Farm, a board member of Save the Children, and a native of West Virginia. She spoke with Eyewitness News about the importance of these partnerships for the future of the state.
Garner explained the role Save the Children plays in communities. “We act like the sister next door or the older aunt who checks in and says, ‘You’re doing great.’ We ask, ‘Do you need diapers?’ or ‘Do you have enough food for your baby?’ We offer rides to job searches and connect families with doctors if a child needs help,” she said. “We also bring books and encourage reading. We ask about what families are doing every time we visit.”
She described these efforts as consistent and caring support. “It’s like a home visitor who shows up again and again, like a loving neighbor who teaches you,” Garner said. She shared a story from a visit in West Virginia. “I asked a young mom if she was comfortable with her home visitor. She told me, ‘She was my cheerleading coach.’ We hire local people, train them well, and they become part of the community. They support young parents, grandparents, or anyone caring for children.”
The program aims to help parents raise their children and reduce the pressures they face. It also prepares children for their future.
Garner stressed the importance of reading. “The best way to teach a child to speak up for themselves is to read to them and give them books. When a child is just one and a half years old, they’ll crawl onto your lap and ask you to read,” she said. “Reading expands their brain and vocabulary. It helps them learn patience and listening skills. This prepares them to succeed in West Virginia’s education system starting in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.”
The Education Summit emphasized the importance of children today and for the future. It also focused on growing business partnerships to ensure sustainable career paths for students.
Garner said, “Everyone needs to work together. We can’t rely on just one group. It’s not enough to say the government will handle it. The world is too complex for that. But complexity should not lead to giving up. Instead, we must figure out what we need to get things done.”
She added, “Businesses want to help. They want to mentor, support, and inspire children and teachers. Educators also want this help. So we must keep looking ahead and stay connected.”
