Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

The soundtrack of the Broadway musical Newsies blasted through the speakers as two dozen Northshore Elementary School students took center stage. They ran through a set list of songs, dances, and choreographed scenes ending with the mainstream hit “Seize the Day!”

However, this wasn’t the start of an elementary school play; instead, a call to action for a couple hundred adults in the room to support the Knoxville Education Foundation (KEF).

The annual Back-to-School Breakfast would be one of the only events that places politicians, economic development partners, non-profits, for-profits, parents, teachers, and the next generation all under one roof. The diverse group of people is reflective of the diverse interests at play when it comes to supporting students and the next generation of community leaders.

Larsen Jay, a Knox County Commissioner, Director of Business Alliances at PYA (the power behind teknovation.biz), and on the board for KEF took the stage for a community welcome.

“At KEF, exceeding expectations should always be the expectation,” Jay said, motioning toward KEF’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mike Taylor.

Taylor has been an integral part of getting funding dollars from the foundation into the areas of need in Knox County Schools (KCS). One of those programs, the “865 Academies,” has seen a lot of success.

So far, there have been more than 206,700 student impact hours completed by 1,800 students across 468 businesses. The program offers students a space to participate in work-based learning, job shadow opportunities, and create connections with industry professionals.

The long-term vision behind the program is that it will create a pipeline of talented employees to satisfy the growing job market in East Tennessee.

“Thank you to the Knoxville Chamber which has been a big part of making those connections happen and finding business leaders and owners to participate in this program,” Taylor said.

However, it’s not just out-of-school activities that KEF has invested time and money into. One of the biggest areas of investment is in “Innovative Education Pilots,” which support student learning in literacy and stem initiatives.

KEF invested $203,941 throughout the past two grant cycles, which was split between 23 grants at 37 schools. About 60 percent of that money went toward literacy initiatives – specifically focused on third-grade students, and about 15 percent went toward STEM initiatives.

Dr. Jon Rysewyk, the Superintendent for KCS, said it’s a big step forward for students.

“Algebra One is very important because if students cannot understand those skills, we cannot expect them to thrive in calculus, chemistry, or physics,” Rysewyk said. “The Chamber has informed us that our business community is producing more jobs that are STEM-related. So, our curriculum needs to reflect those community needs.”

The district is headed in the right direction. According to statistics released at the annual breakfast, Lonsdale Elementary increased math proficiency eight to 14 percent, Holston Middle School’s math proficiency increased 17 to 21.5 percent, and Fulton High School increased its graduation rate from 80 to 87 percent last year.

“It may not be perfect, but we are moving the needle in the right direction,” Rysewyk said.

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