Peebles native returns to Ohio Valley schools, studies rural education partnerships

David Adams walked back into Ohio Valley School District this week with a research question that could matter well beyond a single visit: how can universities and rural schools work together in ways that students and parents can actually feel in the classroom, in career planning and after graduation?

The Peebles native, now a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cincinnati, spent time with students, teachers and district programs as part of a broader study of rural education and post-secondary opportunity. His focus is on partnerships that fit small communities instead of imposing a one-size-fits-all model, with attention to student voice and the realities of rural life in Adams County.

That makes Adams’ visit more than a hometown return. Ohio Valley School District says it has had an ongoing partnership with the GRIT Project since at least Feb. 5, 2021, and the district says GRIT serves young adults ages 14 to 24 along with adults who are unemployed or underemployed. In practice, that work connects people to career assessments, job resources and living-wage work, the kind of supports that can shape whether a student heads into a job, training or college after high school.

Adams also spent time with the district’s student-centered efforts, including the GRIT Project and FORGE program, where he saw one-on-one support, certification opportunities and summer programming in action. Those programs give the district concrete tools it can use as it considers how to improve career readiness, strengthen postsecondary planning and keep more students engaged through graduation.

The broader GRIT network has grown well beyond Adams County. Future Plans says the project launched in 2019 in Adams, Brown, Highland, Pike and Scioto counties, then expanded in 2025 to all 32 Appalachian Ohio counties plus three neighboring counties. Over five years, Future Plans says GRIT has guided more than 26,000 people through assessments, personalized coaching and career planning. It also says more than 87% of participating high schools now have comprehensive career education programs, and 84% of high-risk participating seniors have earned credentials and moved on to further education or employment.

Adams’ own path gives the research added weight. The University of Cincinnati said he joined the university in 2017 as its first chief innovation officer, later served as CEO of the University of Cincinnati Research Institute, helped launch the 1819 Innovation Hub and helped establish the Cincinnati Innovation District with a $100 million JobsOhio investment in 2020. UC said he later accepted a role as commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development in 2022, and he has now accepted a faculty position at Northern Kentucky University.

For Ohio Valley schools, the question is whether Adams’ work will help turn research into decisions that affect attendance, college readiness, teacher support and funding priorities in a rural district that has already spent years building career pathways.