Chattanooga YMCA opens new preschool and other education news this week

Photo courtesy YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga | A ribbon cutting took place for the YMCA Language Immersion Early Learning Center on Friday, May 28, 2021 in Chattanooga, TN.
Photo courtesy YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga | A ribbon cutting took place for the YMCA Language Immersion Early Learning Center on Friday, May 28, 2021 in Chattanooga, TN.

Tennessee Department of Education, University of Tennessee at Martin offering free ACT prep across state

The Tennessee Department of Education and University of Tennessee at Martin have partnered to provide free ACT classes, office hours and workshops to Tennessee high school students and teachers this summer.

Students have access to the ACT Success Tactics Workshop and ACT Mastery classes to familiarize themselves with the exam and look further into certain sections, along with virtual office hours. Resources for students are available via Zoom over the summer and through fall 2022. The first session of the ACT Workshop for teachers is Aug. 2 and covers how to incorporate ACT curriculum into teaching strategies.

"We are excited to partner with UT Martin to focus on ACT readiness and college and career success for all Tennessee high school students," said Commissioner Penny Schwinn in a statement. "These workshops and classes are tremendous free resources that will help better prepare our students for postsecondary success while equipping our teachers with tools for focused classroom instruction on college readiness and career pathways."

The workshops, office hours and classes began June 1 with registration available on UT Martin's website. Now, several Chattanooga-area colleges do not require scores for the ACT or similar tests for applicants, but these scores may still be used for scholarship opportunities.

Hamilton County Schools graduates earn over 900 industry certifications

Hamilton County Schools 2021 graduates earned more than 900 industry certifications in eight fields, about three times greater than the 316 certifications earned last year.

The industries include automotive, audio/visual production, business, coding, construction, construction and manufacturing, engineering and health science.

"Industry certifications are important because they help students prepare for life after school and demonstrate that our graduates are equipped with the skills as well as knowledge necessary to make immediate contributions in a specific industry," said Hamilton County Schools K-12 academic officer Blake Freeman in a statement. "These certifications are also designed to respond to the workforce needs of the Chattanooga community."

Chattanooga YMCA opens new language immersion preschool

The YMCA Language Immersion Early Learning Center opened Friday at 801 S. Willow St. in Chattanooga and is the third area preschool to open for YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga.

The preschool will hold half the day in Spanish and half in English with emphasis on reading, vocabulary and language use in context. The dual language immersion of the center comes from research supporting increased cognitive development among children when a second language is introduced.

"Fostering the potential of our youth is at the heart of what we do," said YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga president and CEO Janet Dunn. "And in this community, we have a great group of people who continue to show up when the YMCA has a dream or a need."

Chattanooga State Community College hosting welcome program for new students

Chattanooga State Community College will welcome new students in its Tiger Pawlooza program beginning Monday.

The program provides a tour of campus prior to classes starting, along with assistance on applications, financial aid and registration. Students will also meet faculty and staff, current students and learn to use the student portal.

Sessions for different student groups will occur throughout the summer, with new student sessions taking place June 7, June 22, July 7 or Aug. 3. The session for early college students takes place July 22, and students from Gateway high school areas - Brainerd, East Ridge, Hixson, Howard Academy, Red Bank and Tyner - have two session options on either June 10 or June 21.

The program concludes with the Tiger Pawlooza Celebration on Aug. 13. For more information on the program and sessions, call 423-697-2689 and register on the school's website.

Contact Anika Chaturvedi at achaturvedi@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592.

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