PEF has recently been awarded two new grants to supplement and broaden our on-going efforts to help students learn about opportunities for college:
The Lumina Foundation's Know How to Go (KH2GO) grant will provide $270,000 over 4 years to help students (more) start considering their college opportunities as early as 8th and 9th grade. Major activities will include a significant increase in support for middle school counselors and teachers. Partner organizations include the Hamilton County Department of Education; the College Access Center; UTC; Chattanooga State; the Chamber; GEAR UP Tennessee; Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga; Urban League; and Girls Inc.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) grant of $155,000 will provide money to develop and train a group of mentors for students at three local high schools who might miss the opportunity to go to college without support and encouragement. So that they can relate to their mentees as peers, the mentors will be local college sophomores or juniors who graduated from the same high school as their mentees. Fifteen college mentors will work at three schools – Howard School of Academics and Technology, Ooltewah High School and Hixson High School - with 10 high school juniors each.
The 150 high school juniors will also attend a “College Bonanza” in the spring to learn about the college application process, how to choose a college, and how to access financial aid. Following the College Bonanza, they will participate in three one-day tours to a variety of Tennessee colleges, and will visit area businesses and learn about career opportunities as part of a four-week career/workforce development program organized by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.