tnAchieves Assistant Director of Outreach Ben Sterling will speak about mentoring students through the TN Promise program at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12. The meeting will be on the 4th floor of the Chattanooga Public Library’s downtown branch, 1001 Broad St., and the public is invited. 
 
tnAchieves adminsters the TN Promise scholarship program throughout most of the state. According to data release in September, 2017 by the Tennessee Board of Regents, students enrolled in the TN Promise program outperform their peers in community college in both persistence and completion rates. The students in the TN Promise program receive guidance from mentors as they navigate the college application and enrollment process and meet program requirements to receive the scholarships.

"As of Oct. 5, Hamilton County still needs 155 adults to serve as mentors to high school students hoping to receive Tennessee Promise college scholarships next year. This means Hamilton County is only 59% of the way to the goal of having enough mentors for the class of 2018. Knox and Davidson counties are both 66% of the way to their goals, by way of contrast. Addressing this shortage will be the topic of the October League of Women Voters meeting, open to the public, in Chattanooga," officials said.

Those attending the Oct. 12 LWV meeting will also hear about two workshops which the League of Women Voters is co-sponsoring in Chattanooga and which are designed to increase the number of women running for elective office.

"One workshop, on Oct. 24, will be led by Kate Coyne-McCoy, who has contributed to the success of hundreds of campaigns," officials said. This workshop will take place at the Well, 1800 Rossville Ave, from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The cost of attending this workshop is $75, but scholarships for college-age women wishing to attend are available. 
 
The second workshop is Nov. 2 at Chattanooga City Hall, 4-9 p.m., and will feature presentations by Dr. Amanda Wintersieck, UT-Chattanooga political science professor, Stacy Richardson, chief of staff for Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, and local female elected officials. This workshop is open to high school seniors and college-age women at no charge.

Anyone considering attending either of these two workshops should attend the Oct. 12 LWV meeting or contact the League of Women Voters, Chattanooga Chapter, at LWVChatt@gmail.com for more information.