The Chattanooga Interfaith Council is a re-established group of faith-based leaders representing more than a dozen religious organizations in Hamilton County joining forces to improve quality of life for students.
Because places of worship serve as community hubs and are uniquely situated to assist underserved communities, a Chattanooga 2.0 work group suggested the Chattanooga Interfaith Council to integrate local religious groups to achieve quality education and inclusionary practices.
“This is a unique team, bringing together a very diverse group of leaders from different faiths, races and communities,“ said Warren Logan, president of the local Urban League. “With the support from local religious organizations, we will work to solve education and other challenges of race and gender bias through our faith communities and connect our neighbors with needed services such as early education programs and connecting points to other opportunities.”
The Interfaith Council goals:
· Provide quality education for all students regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status or immigration status
· Increase the community’s focus on education
· Improve awareness and access to free and low-cost resources
· Encourage awareness and advocacy for education among faith communities
· Promote understanding among the various faiths and race relations throughout the community
Next steps:
· Hold an interfaith education summit
· Develop a multilingual resource guide of all the current faith-based sponsored education programs available during the school year
· Establish conduits for congregations to access information, resources, support and program involvement opportunities