Students in the fall 2008 Hamilton County Virtual School will be joined by Sen. Andy Berke for a recognition dinner Tuesday at the Southside Recreation Center to celebrate their successes in the nationally recognized “Connecting the Dots with Technology” initiative, a collaborative partnership with the City of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture (EAC).

As a partner of EAC, “Connecting the Dots with Technology” initiative, the Hamilton County Virtual School received national recognition at the NACOL Virtual Schools Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona in November 2008.

Inspired by the mobile technology initiative in New Orleans following soon after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of communications, EAC Administrator Missy Crutchfield launched a collaborative called “Connecting the Dots with Technology” to partner with local corporations—including Tennessee Valley Authority and Tennessee American Water—in donating used computers to the city’s recreation centers.

For the summer of 2008, EAC received a state grant for $6,000 sponsored by Senator Andy Berke to partner with the Hamilton County Virtual School in piloting a virtual classroom summer school program for students struggling to graduate from Brainerd High School and Howard School of Academics & Technology.

EAC Administrator Missy Crutchfield said, “The ‘Connecting the Dots with Technology’ summer school program was a tremendous success. We have received letters from students who were able to graduate from high school this year because they participated in the summer school program, and they were able to finish their requirements for graduation.”

The “Connecting the Dots” summer school program encouraged student success through a partnership with CARTA providing free bus passes to the classroom sites, and offering a $50 bonus for consistent attendance and successful completion of the program. Chattanooga Matters, an umbrella organization of local churches, provided students with lunches each day.
Program Coordinator Debi Crabtree said, “One hundred percent of the students successfully completed the summer program. ‘Connecting the Dots Phase II’ is now underway this fall with six students from Howard School thanks to additional funding from the Hamilton County Department of Education’s Federal Programs office and Comcast.”

During the Tuesday evening recognition dinner, Hamilton County Virtual School students, parents, program facilitators and community partners will have the opportunity to talk with Sen. Berke about their experiences in the Virtual School courses this fall.

For more information about the “Connecting the Dots with Technology” initiative or the City of Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture contact Melissa Turner (423) 425-7826.