Roane County has achieved 100 percent of its mentor goal since the program inception in 2011
KINGSTON, Tenn.—Education matters to Roane County.
Education Matters, a program of the Roane Alliance, has exceeded the goal to have 80 tnAchieves mentors by 126 percent for the 2017–18 academic school year. tnAchieves is the statewide partner to the Tennessee Promise program, which provides last-dollar scholarships to students entering community or applied technology colleges in 85 of the 95 Tennessee counties.
tnAchieves was born out of KnoxAchieves, which included Roane County, in 2011. Since then, the Roane Alliance has been a crucial part of the tnAchieves program because of their work with Education Matters. According to Allen Lutz, education and workforce development specialist for Education Matters, support from mentors in the area helps guide students through the challenges of higher education, therefore increasing post-secondary education graduation rates.
“Many of the kids don’t have someone that can reinforce the value of education … and education is often critical to helping them achieve their goals in life,” Lutz said. “Mentors come in to fill this gap and support them in achieving their goals.”
The Tennessee Promise program is life changing for many young citizens—60 percent are first generation college students, according to tnAchieves. Roane County was the third county to reach its goal for the 2017–18 academic year. Under the direction of the Roane Alliance and Education Matters, Roane County has exceeded its goal every year since tnAchieves’ launch in 2011.
“Because tnAchieves’ roots are in the Roane County area, our residents want to see it continue to succeed.” Lutz said. “Our community is dedicated to helping the next generation be successful.”
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About Education Matters
Located at the core of Knoxville/Oak Ridge Innovation Valley, the Roane Alliance is dedicated to ensuring every citizen is prepared and motivated to reach their full potential. In Roane County, 92 percent of high school students graduate on time, compared to the state average of 88 percent; and Roane State Community College has graduated the most technical workers, compared with other community colleges across the country. Roane County also achieved 100 percent of mentors needed for the tnAchieves program since it began in 2011, exceeding the goal for the first time in 2016.
About Roane Alliance
The Roane Alliance is Roane County’s economic development organization. It is an umbrella organization over both public and private organizations, including the Roane County Chamber of Commerce, the Roane County Industrial Development Board and the Roane County Visitors Bureau. The Roane Alliance also coordinates programs that promote alignment of K-12 education with local business through Education Matters and the recruitment of retirees to the area in Retire Roane, one of the 16 Retire Tennessee communities. As a cooperative public/private partnership, each member organization of the Alliance operates with its own focus, identity, board of directors and operating budget, while working toward unified goals for increased prosperity and improved quality of living.