At Scale Newsletter: September 2026
This month's At Scale Newsletter has plenty to celebrate: 6.6 million hours of community service, a statewide Volunteer Day tribute to Dolly Parton and a new partnership with Tennessee Serves.
6.6 Million Hours Strong
Students volunteer at Pellissippi State Community College's campus garden.
tnAchieves students have now completed more than 6.6 million hours of community service. The milestone reflects both the scale of their impact and the role service plays in connecting students to their communities, their careers and Tennessee's future.
"For tnAchieves, 6.6 million hours represents more than a service requirement," said Krissy DeAlejandro, President and CEO of tnAchieves. "It represents millions of moments when Tennessee students showed up, contributed and began to see the role they can play in their communities and in Tennessee's future workforce."
Service has been part of the tnAchieves student experience since 2008. Students complete hours to remain eligible for Tennessee Promise, and tnAchieves works to make those hours count for more: career exploration, professional skills and deeper connections at home.
Job shadowing is a major part of that work. Through tnAchieves Job Shadow Days, students spend time with Tennessee employers, getting a firsthand look at careers and workplaces while completing their service requirement.
"Tennessee's greatest asset is its people, and tnAchieves is helping students see that they can make a difference right here at home," said Randy Boyd, President of the University of Tennessee System. "When students serve their communities, shadow Tennessee employers and begin exploring careers, they are not just completing a requirement. They are building relationships, gaining experience and preparing to become the workforce and community leaders Tennessee needs."
Serving Together on Dolly Day
On September 25, the tnAchieves team spent the day doing what we ask our students to do every semester: serve. More than 60 tnAchieves employees headed out across the state for our staff Volunteer Day, marking 6.6 million hours of student service by rolling up our own sleeves.
We chose the date on purpose. September 25 was Dolly Day, a statewide tribute to Dolly Parton's lifelong commitment to giving back and her belief in the potential of Tennessee's people. It felt like the right day to follow her example, and our students'.
A New Partnership with Tennessee Serves
tnAchieves has a new partner in Volunteer Tennessee: the Tennessee Serves network, now one statewide resource for Tennessee Promise students to find and register for volunteer opportunities. Students will keep submitting completed hours through tnAchieves.org, while Tennessee Serves becomes the central place to find opportunities across the state.
"Volunteer Tennessee exists to make it easy for people to find a place to serve, and tnAchieves students have been showing up for their communities for more than a decade," said Jim Snell, Executive Director of Volunteer Tennessee. "This partnership connects tnAchieves students directly to the Tennessee Serves platform, so finding a community service opportunity is easier than ever."
