"He was quite excited about it," his grandfather Michael Perry said. The 16-year-old and his grandfather attended orientation Thursday for the new program, which will allow Perry to recover academic credits and earn $11 an hour. Perry said he struggled in two classes this past school year while attending in-person during the pandemic. He plans to save his summer earnings in order to get his driver's license and a car. The program was established by the city of Canton, Canton City School District, Simply Youth, and Stark County Community Action Agency (SCCAA). It involves a three-hour morning academic session followed by lunch, and then students are bused to various work sites for three hours in the afternoon.