Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, has designated Hamilton County as a prospective Career Academy Innovation Community (CAIC). The designation recognizes the commitment by businesspeople and area educators in implementing an action plan designed to increase the number of students who have access to successful career academies. This designation was awarded to the Hamilton County School System based on its partnership with the Chattanooga Area Chamber.
"Through this designation, we at Ford Motor Company Fund are proud to support innovative approaches that link rigor and relevance in new exciting ways," said Sandra Ulsh, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. "We look forward to working closely with the Chattanooga Chamber and Hamilton County Schools to build successful career academies that will give students the kinds of 21st century skills they will need to be successful in a global knowledge economy."
Ford Motor Company provided the Chamber with $20,000 in seed money to complete a number of action items that will demonstrate to Ford that the Chamber and public schools partnership is meeting Ford’s criteria for becoming a fully-recognized career academy innovation community. The Chamber will use this funding to bring businesspeople and educators together to develop a career academy master plan that reflects local workforce needs and educational objectives.
Ford Motor Company Fund created the CAIC recognition program in order to support communities interested in increasing the number of students learning in successful career academies and to help these communities sustain their career academies over time. Through this designation, Hamilton County will receive technical assistance provided by Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, Chattanooga will have the option of implementing the Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS) curriculum, a standards-based and academically rigorous program, as a part of their new and existing career academies.
Career academies are considered among the most effective high school redesign strategies in the U.S. They draw together education, business, and industry to develop an education model that allows students to take core academic classes and at the same time learn about a specific profession, such as teaching, construction or environmental studies. In Hamilton County, there are 15 career academies already operating area high schools.
"We are honored that Ford Motor Company Fund is recognizing the outstanding work that Hamilton County has already done in developing an academy system," said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jim Scales. "I am committed to working with the Chattanooga Area Chamber and the Ford Motor Company Fund to take our Career Academies to the next level. Together we will create a comprehensive system of Career Academies developed in partnership with the business community to ensure that our students graduate with skill sets that correspond to local industry needs."
