Education Matters!
The Roane Alliance launched "Education Matters!" in 2009 to emphasize and reinforce the importance of education for all Roane Countians. The program and activities are possible because of funding provided by our regional partner Innovation Valley Inc.
"Not having a high school diploma can put you at a severe disadvantage in terms of finding a good job or finding a career," says Allen Lutz, Education and Workforce Development Specialist, "However, a high school diploma should not be the end of education for most people. The fastest growing career fields with above-average earnings require post-secondary education, either training at schools like Roane State Community College and the Tennessee Technology Centers, or a bachelor's or advanced degree."
Education Matters! activities have occurred throughout year, across the county, and with all age groups to reinforce the message that....
Roane County High School Career Day- The Chamber's Education and Economic and Community Development Committees worked together with the County Schools to host an annual High School Career Exploration Day. Since 2009, the month of May has included the Career DAy. More than 550 Roane County high school juniors come dressed and ready with resumes, handshakes, notepads and questions to meet with representatives from more than 50 different businesses to talk about their future. Working closely with the Chamber Committees and also sponsoring the event are Roane County Schools, Roane State Community College (where the fair is held), and the Tennessee Technology Center at Harriman (which provides students to serve as guides for the event). The businesses participating are brimming with compliments about our students. The career day continues to be a stunning success and the next Career Day is already being planned. Click here to learn more about the High School Career Day.
Presentations, Community Festivals and High School Football Game Participation - To get the Education Matters! message out, presentations are made throughout the year to hundreds of community leaders who are members of civic organizations, such as Civitan, Kiwanis, Lions, and Rotary Clubs, as well as the current Class of Leadership Roane County and Youth Leadership. Additionally, an Education Matters! booth is at community festivals in Harriman, Kingston, Oliver Springs, and Rockwood. Thousands of residents (children, parents, and grandparents) have visited the Education Matters! booth to answer questions about the value of education, or read and rank four posters that underscore the value of education. Many adults used the occasion to discuss with their children how important it is to graduate from high school and continue their education to achieve career goals. Additionally, to emphasize the importance of early reading skills, the Alliance signed-up many children to receive free books from the Imagination Library.
Industrial Trades Opportunities Brochure - The Chamber Education and Economic and Community Development Committees worked together to create an Industrial Trades Opportunities Brochure geared toward reviving student interest in critical jobs for our local industries in the professional trades. Roane County high school students participated in focus groups in developing the brochure and the brochure continues to be distributed to high school guidance counselors in Roane County. Click here for the brochure.
Educators in the Workplace Lunch & Learn Program - Since 2009, this annual program has provided Innovation Valley educators the opportunity to receive a little schooling themselves during the summer. Educators from Blount, Knox, Loudon and Roane Counties, and Maryville and Oak Ridge, visit business to learn about what career opportunities are available in our business, but also to learn about what skills and attitude employers look for in their employees and job applicants. The visits underscored the critical role of technology in business and emphasized how important it is for students to take math and science classes in high school to prepare for careers in the world today. Businesses within Roane County that have participated in this program are: Capstain; Roane Medical Center; Toho Tenax America, Inc.; Thermo Fisher Scientific; and TVA Kingston Fossil Plant.
The value of the program is summarized by a high school teacher saying, "This has been helpful in educating me about opportunities for my students. I liked hearing about what employers are looking for in entry-level applicants. I am constantly telling my students how important attitude and teamwork is in the business world."
Teachers Supply Closet - Each new school year since 2003 has started with the annual Teachers' Supply Closet. The Education Committee of the Chamber of Commerce initiated this event and its sponsors now include the Chamber of Commerce, Roane State Community College, Tennessee Technology Center at Harriman, and Roane County United Way. The Closet receives thousands in cash donations, which was used to purchase supplies, as well has items donated by businesses and individuals. Held at Roane State Community College in September, Roane County teachers from the elementary, middle, high schools, as well as the education center, shop for free to receive much needed supplies. Click here to learn more about the Teachers' Supply Closet.
The Tennessee Scholars Program - The Chamber Education Committee, in conjunction with the Roane County Schools, recognize more than a hundred graduating Roane County seniors ieach year as Tennessee Scholars at a breakfast event in May. The students receive medallions and have a special Tennessee Scholars seal on their diplomas. Five students, one from each of the five Roane County high schools, receive Tennessee Scholars scholarships to Roane State Community College. Additionally, all Tennessee Scholars attending the Tennessee Technology Center in Harriman are eligible to receive scholarships. The Scholars program provides incentives for high school students to take more rigorous coursework, maintain high attendance, and participate in community service. Click here to learn more about the Tennessee Scholars program.
Food Drive for the School BackPack Program - Near the end of 2009, The Roane Alliance announced a food drive to help feed hungry school children in Roane County over the holiday season. "Hunger and holidays should not go together," said Leslie Henderson. The food drive supplemented the existing BackPack Program that is administered by the Roane County Schools with food supplied from Second Harvest. The program normally provides food, packed in individual servings issued to each at-risk child to ensure they have enough food to last through the weekend. The food drive collected donations totaling $552.11 and approximately 75 food items. The financial donations provided approximately 1,500 individual food servings to the students for the two-week holiday period
EM! Essay Contest - "Emphasizing the value of education must happen at all grade levels in school," says Lutz, "so we participated in Career Day at Walnut Hill Elementary School in Harriman. The school's 4th and 5th graders learned that continuing their education can open the door to "what I want to be when I grow up." Students also participated in an Alliance sponsored essay contest, "Why Education Matters to Me" and the two winners received a $50 U.S. Savings Bond at their school awards assembly.
"We are a global community and our children are in competition with hundreds of thousands of college-educated Indians and Chinese, not just students from other parts of the US," says Leslie Henderson, President/CEO of the Roane Alliance, in explaining the reason this new initiative, "Education Matters!" was launched. "The jobs they need to prepare for are no longer available to those with few skills. Even manufacturing positions now require a year or two of post-secondary training. The world is high-tech now and we have to get prepared for it."
To schedule an Education Matters! group presentation, please contact Allen Lutz at The Roane Alliance at alutz@roanealliance.org or (865) 376-2093.
