KAYSVILLE, Utah — Something different is happening in Utah, and it’s being led by students.
At the Davis Catalyst Center, high school students aren’t just learning in a classroom. They are working directly with a real company, Utah Direct, to help improve how people find and trust local businesses.
Utah Direct is a new website built specifically for Utah. Instead of relying on big national review sites, it focuses on honest, local feedback from real people in the community. The goal is simple: help people find great local businesses they can trust.
What makes this project unique is who is helping build it.
Students at the Davis Catalyst Center are working side by side with Utah Direct to:
• Check and update local business listings
• Write and review high-quality recommendations
• Help promote the platform so more people in Utah use it This is not practice work.
This is real work that impacts real businesses.
“Working with Utah Direct has given me real-life experience that I would never get in a regular class,” said Carter Allen, a student at the Davis Catalyst Center.
For many students, this is their first time doing the kind of work adults do in careers like marketing, business, and technology. They are learning how to communicate with businesses, solve real problems, and build something that people will actually use.
For parents, it’s something to be proud of.
Students aren’t just completing assignments. They are gaining skills that matter in today’s world. They are learning how to work with companies, think creatively, and contribute to their community.
This partnership also shows a new way education can work.
By teaming up with a real business, the Davis Catalyst Center is giving students a chance to learn by doing. Instead of waiting until after graduation, students are building experience now. They are creating resumes, portfolios, and confidence before they even leave high school.
At the same time, Utah Direct benefits from fresh ideas and energy from students who understand their generation and how people connect online today.
Together, this partnership is creating something bigger than a school project. It is building a model for how education and business can work together to prepare students for the future while supporting local communities.
The Davis Catalyst Center continues to lead the way in giving students opportunities that are relevant, hands-on, and connected to the real world.