After a competitive application process, 17 individuals or teams of teachers from Hamilton County public schools will participate in an intensive 48-Hour Launch weekend as participants in the third cohort of the Teacherpreneur Incubator. The public is invited to Pitch Night on Sunday, July 31 at 4 p.m. at the Church on Main, 1601 Rossville Ave. General admission is free, but audience members must register online at teacherpreneur3.eventbrite.com.
The Teacherpreneur Incubator is a leadership initiative which offers teachers support, time and space to incubate big ideas and execute them in the best interests of their students and their profession. PEF and the Hamilton County Department of Education are collaborating with Benwood Foundation, Footprint Foundation, and CO.LAB on this approach to engaging and empowering area teachers.
In May, HCDE teachers submitted dozens of proposals to the Teacherpreneur Incubator. Those proposals were narrowed to 17 teams who will enter the Teacherpreneur 48-Hour Launch, where educators will receive feedback, support, and encouragement from mentors and community members throughout the weekend.
The 48-Hour Launch will be hosted at the Edney Innovation Center. Volunteers are welcome to attend. On Sunday, July 31, the Launch culminates with educators pitching their ideas to a panel of judges at the Church on Main. Projects will be chosen to receive funding and on-going support to take ideas from concept to classroom. VIP seats, which include two drink tickets, are $25. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available during the event. The event will be streamed live online thanks to EPB’s CityStream.
Michael Stone, PEF director of Innovative Learning says, “Each year, attendance and interest in the Teacherpreneur Incubator grows. It’s a great opportunity for the community to hear innovative ideas directly from our teachers. Educators have creative, entrepreneurial solutions to classroom, school and community challenges, and Teacherpreneur is a way to invest in them as professionals by helping those ideas come to life.”
This year’s Teacherpreneur competitors include: Amanda Edens, East Side Elementary (Increasing Accessibility for Success); Bethany White, Hixson High (Becoming Wildcat Strong); Brittany Harris and Colleen Ryan, Hardy Elementary (The Passage); Felicion McMillon-Diakhate, Barger Academy (Chattanooga Has Talent); Heather Brown, Sale Creek Middle-High (The Text Collective); Henry Oston, Dalewood Middle (Science Genius); Karen Mitchell and Constance Buchanan, Soddy Daisy High (School Based Enterprise); Kelsey Huynh, East Side Elementary (Chattanooga Food for Thought); Kendall Snider, Ivy Academy (Choose One / Change One); Kristin Burrus, Judi Jasonski and Ann-Marie Fitzsimmons, CSAS (STEAM Hub); Melanie Commander, HCDE Literacy Coach (In-Depth Analysis of Reading Levels App); Nicole Wellington, CSLA (School Without Walls); Sarah Candler, Ooltewah Middle (Student Freelance); Shery Konwaler, Tyner Academy (Rams Stop and Shop); Stacy Hill, Red Bank High (RoboMath); Victoria Jones, Tyner Academy (C3: Community Classroom Connections); Zach McCoy and David Wilson, STEM School Chattanooga (Mobile Maker Space).
For the first time, PEF has partnered with Causeway to raise funds for Teacherpreneur projects through crowdfunding, with a goal of $5,000. To donate and learn more, visit the Teachepreneur 3.0 Causeway campaign. Donations made through Causeway will be matched dollar-for- dollar thanks to Footprint Foundation through the end of Pitch Night on July 31.