News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
College readiness in Clay, Overton and Warren Counties will get boost thanks to a grant through Tennessee Tech.
The US Department of Education awarding Tech $10 million through the GEAR UP program. Project Lead Luke Anderson said the university will follow one class of students from seventh grade through high school to help them develop a college-going culture, stay persistent through graduation, and provide academic support. Anderson said this is the second-largest grant Tech has ever received.
“We hope that not only the students that we’re serving but also the families that they represent and all of those that see the opportunity that this particular group is getting will cause interest and momentum for districts and other community partners to continue to pour into the students that are from our area,” Anderson said.
Anderson said they will spend the next year preparing the infrastructure for the program and then start working with about 1,700 seventh graders across the four counties, which also includes Scott County. Anderson said they are developing a warning system to identify students who need tutoring support, ACT preparation materials, and a way for college students to mentor those in the program.
“We will have college planning and readiness sessions that include helping parents with filling out FAFSA forms to get financial aid,” Anderson said. “We will have campus visits and summer programming to help students understand what college life is like and to help them get ready for that. We will have work-based learning programs that we’re partnering with local organizations in the community to help them understand how college-going culture can help them in the workforce eventually as well.”
Anderson said they will have an executive director running the program and college advisors working with each school system.
“They will really be kind of our boots on the ground working in the districts,” Anderson said. “Whereas the executive director will be on Tech’s campus, they will be out with the districts and housed there and so that way they can have more one-on-one interface with students and families and the district workers.”
Anderson said they will also be doing professional development with educators in each county to help them better serve the students they are working with.
“In the four counties that we’re serving only thirteen percent of adults in these counties have college degrees,” Anderson said. “And so for many of these students they would be the first student in their family to go to college. And so we want to help support both them and their families with understanding what it means and the opportunities that it can provide to them if they are able to have this.”
The program is being overseen by Anderson as well as Millard Oakley STEM Center Director Darek Potter and Interim Associate Provost Julie Baker. Anderson said the four counties were chosen based on their economic need and their willingness to partner with Tech.
“There are stipulations that they have to meet as well, just like we have to,” Anderson said. “And so they were willing to work with us and provide what was needed so that we can serve these students together.”
Anderson said the program is a great opportunity for Tech to be able to create pipelines for these students to go to college and improve their futures.
“I think it really goes to show that Tech is committed to really helping support our region understand the benefit of college-going culture,” Anderson said. “And not just say that but also be willing to put our money where our mouth is and go out into districts and be able to support them to work with students.”
