JP Morgan Chase has stepped forward from the business sector to help make the concept of Future Ready Institutes in Hamilton County High Schools a reality. The company provided a $50,000 grant to fund a portion of the salary for the new director of the program that will prepare graduates for success after high school. The funding and hiring of a director took the concept off the drawing board and put plans into action.
Blake Freeman, former principal of Normal Park Museum Magnet School, was selected to lead Future Ready Institutes. Mr. Freeman’s immediate goal was to connect with business and industry leaders in the Tennessee Valley to match future employment demands in the job market with education programs to be available in the new high school program. Mr. Freeman was a natural selection as he introduced Project Based Learning as the central focus of instruction while a principal in the system, said officials. Project Based Learning is a process of teaching that engages students academically by investigating questions, problems, or challenges to complete learning projects. The instruction method will be a key to classroom instruction in the Future Ready Institutes.
Future Ready Institutes will challenge the traditional approach to education in high schools by developing career-themed small learning communities. Themes will include medicine, robotics, forensic science, engineering, hospitality, technology and more. Teachers of all content areas including English, math, science and social studies will work with the career theme teacher to provide classroom instruction through the lens of a career. The goal is for students to clearly understand why a lesson is important and how they will use the information in the future.
“JP Morgan Chase is excited about Chattanooga’s future, and we’re committed to the success of the region we call home,” said Hamp Johnston, market executive for JP Morgan Chase and Co. in East Tennessee. “This grant gives us the opportunity to support Hamilton County’s public school system, the Chamber workforce development efforts and the overall Chattanooga 2.0 movement.
“When we work with community partners to help people gain the skills they need to work in high-demand industries, we make it possible for more of our neighbors to lead independent, prosperous, and fulfilling lives."
“One key component to Future Ready Institutes is Career and Technical Education Programs,” said Mr. Freeman. “John Maynard, CTE director for Hamilton County Schools, has been an incredible resource in the alignment of CTE courses and Future Ready Institutes programming.”
The grant from JP Morgan Chase allowed Mr. Freeman to work this year to build community partnerships and a foundationfor the success of the program. Along with JP Morgan Chase, Erlanger Institute for Healthcare and Unum are community partners committed to the success of Future Ready Institutes.