Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Students leaving the Jonesboro High School cafeteria are now being greeted by a new digital window into their future.
The school district posted a video on Facebook Feb. 11, showing a new “college kiosk” being installed at the school. The display is from Next Grad, a Salt Lake City-based company that helps connect high schoolers with post-graduation opportunities through media.
While school districts in Northwest Arkansas, such as Roger,s have been utilizing the technology, Jonesboro High School is the first institution in Northeast Arkansas to bring the hardware to its halls.
Jonesboro Public School Counselor Lena Pierce said the device is located near the cafeteria exit, a high-traffic area where they see the most students. While the district initially described it as a “virtual brochure,” Pierce clarified that the machine is designed for exposure rather than interaction.
“Students can’t go on there and apply to colleges on there. It is interactive in the sense that the media is moving. It’s a slideshow,” she said.
The screen features dynamic graphics from partnering universities, trade schools, and the military, which Pierce said aligns with the Arkansas Department of Education’s push for the “Three E’s” (enrollment, enlistment, or employment).
While every student may have a smartphone, the kiosk serves a different purpose than a simple Google search. Pierce explained that the goal is to catch students’ eyes when they are not actively thinking about college, potentially sparking interest in schools they never knew about
“When students are having to [use their phones], they have to do an action. They have to want to. Whereas this is just exposing them to it subconsciously. It’s exposing them to other schools that they may not think about, that may not be on their radar,” Pierce said.
The school district views the addition as a conversation starter. Pierce explained that the measure of success isn’t necessarily seeing students crowd around the machine, but rather seeing them take that curiosity home.
“Hopefully it broadens their awareness,” Pierce said. “It keeps them focused on, you know, it doesn’t end here. You have more options for a successful career”.