As we move into 2019, we’re reflecting on the educational stories behind the people and places that grabbed our readers’ attention this year. From new incubators and institutes (SMU, TWU) to startups that revamp employee training (NewCraft) to first-of-its-kind degree programs (UNT), our most popular stories spanned the vast range of education initiatives in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Here are the 12 most-read stories on dallasinnovates.com/education for 2018.

1. Hollman Inc. CEO Launches Education Initiative, Pays for Employees and Their Families to Attend College

Travis Hollman partnered with Irving-based North Lake College to pay for everything from tuition to textbooks.

Travis Hollman’s Higher Education & Learning Program is in its first full semester this fall. [Photo: Courtesy Hollman Inc.]

2. SMU to Open Incubator at Mockingbird Station

SMU announced space for budding businesses from SMU students, faculty, and staff on the first floor of the Foundry Club.

[Photo: Radachynskyi/iStock]

3. Texas Woman’s University Announces Grant Program for Female Entrepreneurs

Texas Woman’s University looked to invest more in female entrepreneurs with a new grant program.

[Illustration: etraveler/iStock]

4. Former Dunbar HS Teacher Revamping Employee Training With Experiential Learning

The Y-Combinator-participating startup NewCraft planned to launch software simulations that stray away from typical tutorials used to learn on the job.

NewCraft Founder Cam Sadler was advised by founders of Airbnb, Dropbox, and other companies for his latest venture. [Photo: Courtesy NewCraft]

5. Change of Venue: SMU Guildhall Planning Move Away From Plano

The university’s graduate program for game design will be housed in the forthcoming Gerald J. Ford Research and Innovation Building on the main Dallas campus.

For the second consecutive year, The Princeton Review has named SMU Guildhall one of the best schools for game design in the country. [Photo: Courtesy SMU]

6. Boost to Education: Cognizant Gives $100M for STEM, American Airlines Awards Grants for Flight Instruction

North Texas educational institutions receive financial backing for their programs from foundations and businesses.

[Illustration: Artphoto13/iStock]

7. Entrepreneurial Mindset: Local Schools Giving Young Students Tools to Create Their Own Businesses

Through INCubatoredu and similar educational programs, students are solving real-world problems with their own products and services.

Students from Coppell High School’s year-long entrepreneurship class, INCubatoredu, participating in a Final Pitch Night, a Shark Tank-like event, held May 23 at Varidesk. [Photo: Brad Shipp]

8. Dallas Startup Launching Mission to Send Apollo Astronauts, HS Students Near Space

If a new Dallas startup succeeds in its mission, it will put the oldest and youngest person ever into space by 2020.

At its height, the Back to Space mission will soar to an altitude of more than 100,000 feet at the edge of space. The Dallas startup is partnering with Arizona-based World View Enterprises to build a vehicle. [image: Courtesy Back to Space]

9. 4 Ways Community Leaders Say We Can Better Prepare the STEM Workforce of Tomorrow

Employers across a variety of fields from advanced manufacturing to health care need talent that has a strong foundation in math and science to stay competitive.

Community leaders discuss ways to better prepare students to fill STEM-related jobs in a panel hosted by Communities Foundation of Texas and the Toyota USA Foundation. [Photo: Kim Leeson]

10. Dollars for Good: JPMorgan Chase Investing $3M in Dallas-Area Students, BCBS Accepting Grant Proposals

North Texas nonprofits and educational institutions receive financial backing from foundations and businesses to further their work in STEM, conservation, workforce development, and more.

[Illustration: iStock]

11. TWU Announces New Institute for Women’s Leadership

The institute will encompass three focused centers aimed at inspiring more women to run for political office, be entrepreneurs and executives, and gain professional leadership skills and experience.

The new Institute for Women’s Leadership will be housed on the second floor of Old Main, the university’s first building built in 1903. [Photo: Courtesy Michael Modecki/TWU]

12. UNT First U.S. School to Offer Degree in Consumer Experience Management

The university is pioneering a new major in response to a changing marketplace.

[Illustration: FotoCuisinette/iStock]

READ NEXT

Year In Review: Our Top 10 Most‑Read Stories of 2018

Startup: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Social Innovation: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Invention: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Creative: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Enterprise: A Dozen Top Stories from 2018

Education stories with a social impact:

Movers + Shakers: North Texas Social Innovators You Should Know
Dallas-Fort Worth is home to dozens of creatives who are changing the face of urban planning, social, and educational innovation.

Business as Mutual: Leaders Give Insight on How Collaboration + Innovation Happens in DFW
This wide-ranging discussion covered how to foster collaboration, the role of technology, and many examples of DFW coming together to improve business, create social change, and simply make a positive impact on the region.

UNT Dallas, Toyota, DART Launch Mobility Initiative to Combat Food Deserts in Southern Dallas
The farmer’s market on wheels will sell locally sourced produce to Southern Dallas residents.

Capital One Marks 10 Years in Plano With Grants, STEM Education & a Look at the Future
The financial services company awarded grants to 10 nonprofits and hosted dynamic speakers to talk about empowering the next generation of engineers and scientists through education.

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