UTC ‘Future Ready Institutes’ at Tyner Academy extended

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – UTC and Hamilton County Schools came together to sign an extension for the Future Ready Institutes at Tyner Academy. 

The Future Ready Institutes (FRI) is a school choice that offers small learning communities in specific career fields. FRI learning options include agriculture, manufacturing, architecture, arts, communications, education, health science, and much more.

FRIs are available to students in 13 different high schools in Hamilton County.

This specific event extended one of those FRI options.

“We are celebrating the expansion of Future Ready Institute. Our partnership between Hamilton County Schools Academy and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Education will provide an opportunity for young people to look at careers as educators and associated professions like school counselors and leaders,” said UTC Chancellor Dr. Steven Angle. 

The UTC Institute of Teaching and Learning was created for Tyner students interested in becoming an educator.

Dr. Angle believes this partnership is about impacting students. 

“For a Tyner High School student to go tutor students in elementary school, you see the impact of a student, you see the impact of yourself as an individual on someone else,” said Dr. Angle. “Those are the kinds of opportunities that will be afforded by students in this program.”

Hamilton County Schools has been partnered with UTC’s Future Ready Institutes since 2018. 

Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson wants students to succeed in education. 

“It is a recruiting tool. We want more kids going into the field of education. If we can expose them to that and get them connected to UTC, hopefully, that pipeline expands,” said Dr. Robertson.

In the fall, students will be able to complete the Tennessee Child Development Associate Certification. 

This will certify them to work in a professional childcare setting. 

Dr. Robertson says the institute will be beneficial for faculty as well. 

“Not only this program just for our students, but even for employees. For employees that have a bachelor’s, we have a “grow your own program,” and really have been on the cutting edge of making sure that we have teachers in classrooms,” Dr. Robertson concluded.