Franklin County High School (FCHS) recently had a grand opening for the College-to-Careers Coffee Corner located in the FCHS Library. School board members Kevin Caroland and Christine Hopkins assisted school librarian Rachel Brown and postsecondary coach Jennie Turrell with the ribbon cutting.
The College-to-Careers Coffee Corner was created with grant funds awarded to Franklin County in 2012 by Tennessee College Access Success Network (TCASN). The two-year grant has put a number of initiatives in place at FCHS to increase the college-going rate, with the Coffee Corner being the grant’s newest endeavor.
A county’s college-going rate can be a key indicator of future economic growth. A study released in 2012 predicted that by 2018 at least 54 percent of jobs in Tennessee will require postsecondary training. The TCASN grant is aligned with the target of reaching 54 percent by 2018. At the time the grant was submitted the college-going rate for Franklin County was 42 percent, the eighth lowest in the state. The latest data published by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission indicates that Franklin County’s college-going rate is at 48.9 percent. The goal of the Franklin County TCASN grant is to reach a college-going rate of 52 percent by 2016.
The College-to-Careers Coffee Corner serves multiple objectives. The visiting committee with AdvancED Accreditation recently suggested FCHS consider installing a coffee bar as a way to increase library circulation. The Coffee Corner also serves an identified need related to college-going. In a recent survey, students and parents indicated a need for more college-going information. In response, Franklin County’s TCASN grant known as ProjectYOU (Youth Onward Upward.) has put a number of communication strategies in place including establishing the College-to-Careers Coffee Corner. The design of the Coffee Corner allows it to serve as an information station providing brochures, forms and newsletters from a variety of postsecondary institutions. There is also a computer at the coffee station that is bookmarked with pertinent college-going information. Go to <www.projectyou.org> to learn more about the College-to-Careers Coffee Corner and other support strategies currently in place to help Franklin County students and parents with the post-secondary process.
The Tennessee College Access and Success Network has awarded more than $1.6 million to projects serving more than 60,500 students and families across the state. The TCAS Network aims to establish a college-going culture in communities across the state by removing barriers to higher education, promoting college persistence, and increasing postsecondary completion rates for all Tennesseans. To learn more about the TCAS Network, go to <www.tncollegeaccess.org>, call Wendy Blackmore at (615) 983-6909 or email to <wblackmore@tncollegeaccess.org>. —Special to the Messenger
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