For Immediate Release: tnAchieves Celebrates Rural Impact in New Report

tnAchieves is proud to share a new Rural Impact Report, highlighting the vital importance of rural communities across Tennessee and our commitment to supporting students there.

Students earning a post-secondary credential with the support of tnAchieves is a game-changer for rural counties. From changing the trajectory of students’ lives to attracting high-quality careers, prioritizing post-secondary attainment leads to meaningful economic impact and community mobility. Key findings on the return of investment for rural counties partnering with tnAchieves include:

·       84.7 percent of tnAchieves graduates employed in Tennessee

·       24,401 rural college graduates supported

·       $18.9B economic impact

“tnAchieves has been working across rural Tennessee for more than 15 years, changing lives and breaking family cycles by providing more opportunities for students and increasing educational outcomes,” said Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton. “The economic impact of this work will span generations and is a gamechanger for Tennessee and our citizens." 

“Earning a post-secondary credential is the best way to prepare for the workforce of tomorrow,” said UT System President and tnAchieves Board Chair Randy Boyd. “Every student in Tennessee deserves a clear and supported path forward to college and career, regardless of zip code.”

Beyond the economic impact, there are deep effects for communities working with tnAchieves. To date, rural tnAchieves students have completed more than two million hours of community service to give back directly to the community supporting them on their post-secondary journey. Furthermore, community members are raising their hands to help students. Nearly 14,000 volunteer mentors have helped students navigate the next steps from high school to college or college to career. Rural businesses have also joined alongside tnAchieves to stand with students by providing career exposure and financial contributions to help with this vital work. This has led to more than 340,000 hours of job shadowing in a student’s community so they can gain real-time experience and perspective about future career options.   

“Transforming rural communities is at the core of the tnAchieves mission,” said tnAchieves President & CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. “Rural counties represent more than 80 percent of the state’s counties. Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce is not possible without the rich partnerships in these communities who support our work.”

Read the full Rural Impact Report here, and see how tnAchieves is creating a stronger, more prepared Rural Tennessee—one student at a time. 

tnAchieves is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Any interview requests or questions can be directed to Rebecca Franklin at Rebecca@tnAchieves.org or (865) 748-7767.

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