Washington County CTE grant supports first-generation students

New funding awarded to Washington County Schools will support Career and Technical Education programs, specifically helping first-generation students by opening the door to new opportunities. The Tennessee Department of Education announced the Perkins Reserve Grant winners on Wednesday, awarding Washington County Schools $50,000. The district's CTE director, Kelli Hauldren, said the grant will fund programming aimed at enhancing student advising and industry partnerships. "We're going to continue to expand advising for our students with an emphasis on first-generation college students," she said. "We plan to increase access to industry credentials and also strengthen partnerships with postsecondary institutions and workforce organizations." She said the hope is that increasing funding for these programs will make students more likely to participate in postsecondary opportunities, whether that be college or a trade school. "We want them to earn credentials of value and then graduate with a clear sense of their next steps," she said. Hauldren said that while she doesn't have district specific data, first-generation college students are a major priority this year. "We have connected with several postsecondary institutions like Northeast State Community College, TCAT Elizabethton, East Tennessee State University and Milligan University," she said. "They have written us letters of support to create structured college visits for first-generation students and their families." She said the goal is to bring these families to college campuses so they can learn more about college with a focus on financial literacy. "What we've seen is that a lot of students don't understand what types of grants, loans and other funding is offered, so we have partnered with those post-secondary institutions for them to work with us," she said. "We're going to provide transportation for families who need it and several of them [academic institutions] said they would provide meals." "We just want to kind of walk them through what college life is like and let them see firsthand," Hauldren added. Hauldren said the district will also use the funding to increase industry certifications and professional development for teachers. "We're doing that to strengthen their instruction and improve what we're able to offer students." Hauldren said the Perkins Reserve Grant is fairly competitive, noting the district has received the award in prior years but did not make the cut last year. "But the year before, we did," she said, "Funding that year was spent on expanding CTE programs for special education students." As the new school year approaches, Washington County Schools plans to begin implementing the grant-funded program additions, starting with a new dual enrollment culinary program at NeSCC, according to Hauldren.