Tristate Region's Students Invited To Design The High School Of The Future

Thrive 2055 and Bright Spark invite teacher-led student teams from grades 6-12 in the 16-county tristate region to participate in the High School of the Future design challenge, sponsored by Bridge Innovate. The challenge will begin on Sept. 19, and will include periodic webinars, coaching sessions and a spring design competition to spark and support the creative design process. 

Students will be challenged to design a high school that uses bold new ideas about teaching and learning, makes the most of new technologies and emphasizes creativity and experience-based learning, and most importantly, engages businesses and their home communities in the process.

"During the Thrive 2055 visioning process, we heard very clearly from the people of the region that improving education is critical and that supporting our teachers and helping students graduate was a top priority," said Bridgett Massengill, executive director of Thrive 2055.

"By partnering with Bright Spark, we are offering our region's students the opportunity to tap into their creative talents, collaboratively with their teachers, to take authorship of their future."

Bright Spark, a community innovation initiative founded by Bridge Innovate CEO Jenny Whitener, will facilitate the High School of the Future Design challenge.

"Designers collaborate, innovate, empathize, experiment and come at difficult challenges with critical thinking and creativity," said Ms. Whitener. "These skills are hugely important for our students and teachers, as they search for ways to thrive in a technologically-rich creative economy."

"The High School of the Future design challenge will give students and their teachers a basic toolbox of design thinking skills to carry them forward into the future," said Ms. Whitener.

The High School of the Future design challenge is open to 16 counties that include Polk, Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Rhea, Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Marion and Hamilton counties in Tennessee; Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Whitfield and Murray counties in Georgia; and Jackson and DeKalb counties in Alabama. Cost per team is $250. Thrive 2055 is offering to sponsor one team with their teacher team leader per county, first-come first-served, based on the time stamp of the team's registration. 

Bright Spark recommends that teachers leading a student team attend a training session prior to the launch of the challenge. The teacher's session will take place on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bridge Innovate studios in Chattanooga. Cost is $200 per teacher. In order to take advantage of the Thrive 2055 sponsorship opportunity, the teacher must go through this training and be leading a registered student team. 

To register, visit Bright-Spark.org.

To learn more, call Thrive 2055 at 423 648-2948 or email Ruth Thompson at RThompson@Thrive2055.com.