This summer, incoming freshmen who have graduated from certain Hamilton County Schools, will have the opportunity to participate in a Tech Goes Home course designed for transitioning into college.
Students matriculating from six Hamilton County Schools high schools (Brainerd, Hixson, Howard, Tyner, Red Bank, and East Ridge) can sign up for Camp Tiger, a program Chattanooga State runs to prepare new students for college, and they have the option to add on a 15-hour Tech Goes Home course.
“Enrollment was at an all-time low last fall among students from the six Chattanooga high schools that are eligible for the program,” said Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president of Chattanooga State. “Camp Tiger, together with Tech Goes Home, will foster engagement and improve students’ digital skills, making the college transition smoother.”
About 400 students from the targeted schools are expected to enroll at Chattanooga State in the fall and in Camp Tiger this summer; the Tech Goes Home program can accommodate 200 of those students. Students can enroll in Camp Tiger and Tech Goes Home at no cost, and each student who completes Tech Goes Home will receive a Chromebook. Students who do not have adequate internet at home will also receive a hotspot. All students who participate in Camp Tiger will receive additional support from Chattanooga State to offset barriers related to poverty, including food vouchers for campus dining services and public transportation passes.
“Many students enter Chattanooga State without basic digital skills or a computer,” said Tech Goes Home Program Manager Sammy Lowdermilk. “This new summer transition program will give about 200 students a needed device and the technical skills to succeed in college.”
This year’s Tech Goes Home program at Camp Tiger is possible thanks to generous funding from Benwood Foundation and a grant from the health insurance provider Amerigroup.
"We are thrilled to be able to support a program that is taking a holistic approach to ensuring that students are ready for college and that have the support they need when they get there,” said Chad Pendleton, president of Amerigroup.
While Tech Goes Home has hosted several courses for Chattanooga State students in the past, this is the first one aimed at incoming freshmen from specific high schools.