STEP-UP Chattanooga to kick off 5th year on Dec. 11
Employers interested in hosting an intern for the summer are invited to the launch of the fifth year of STEP-UP Chattanooga. Companies interested in hiring an intern for the summer can attend a breakfast on Dec. 11 to learn more about the program from STEP-UP staff and companies who have hired interns in the past.
STEP-UP Chattanooga, an initiative of the Public Education Foundation of Chattanooga, connects businesses with highly motivated student interns. It provides work readiness training, on-the-job experience, professional mentors and ongoing support to them.
Since its launch in 2016, more than 500 internships have been created for students at more than 90 local companies.
The event Dec. 11 begins at 7:30 a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Chattanooga at 407 Chestnut St.
Business leaders interested in hosting an intern can learn more and sign up for the breakfast at stepupchattanooga.org. Student applications for 2020 STEP-UP are also now open.
GPS to host annual Girls' Holiday Marketplace on Dec. 7
Girls Preparatory School will once again host its holiday marketplace on Saturday, Dec. 7. The "Girls' Holiday Marketplace" features 60 booths filled with unique merchandise and services, offering girls ages 7-17 the opportunity to sell their own products, according to a news release.
"The Girls' Holiday Marketplace is one of the most unique opportunities for girls to flex their entrepreneurial muscles-from creatively thinking about a product or service to branding, marketing, pricing, and customer sales and service," said Lauren Hayes, GPS director of alumnae and community engagement and coordinator of the event, in a statement. "If you are looking for a great family experience and unique way to shop and support local businesses, then buy from a 'girlpreneur' at the Holiday Marketplace."
Making Spirits Bright, Poetry for You, The Jeweled Dragon, Art for Paws and Colors of the Wind are a handful of businesses that will be present at the event. Products that will be sold include ornaments, wreaths and holiday decor; original art, jewelry, dog accessories and treats, beauty products, handmade candles and soaps, original family games, and more.
The Girls' Holiday Marketplace is a part of the MBD: Girl Edition entrepreneurial ventures powered by GPS, which includes the spring 24Hour Generator presented in partnership with CoLab.
The marketplace will be open from noon-4 p.m. on Saturday and will be in the school's gymnasium at GPS, 205 Island Ave. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.
Hamilton County Schools partners with DonorsChoose.org
Hamilton County Schools has been named one of 30 members of the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program, an initiative by DonorsChoose.org, the online national nonprofit that helps match donors with private funders.
In 2018, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga provided a district-wide $25,000 matching campaign to fund classroom needs in Hamilton County public schools that were posted on the site.
Projects that were funded included requests for student-friendly, diverse literature, enabled teachers to buy unique, flexible furniture for special-needs students in their classrooms and more.
The new partnerships will allow DonorsChoose to notify principals each time a project is funded and receive early notification when there are new "match" funding opportunities.
The school district has also made it easier for principals to broadly approve teachers' projects for fundraising.
"We're excited to have Hamilton County Schools as a new member of the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program," said Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose, said in a statement. "Hamilton County Schools' teachers and administrators continue to work hard to make sure students succeed, so far they've raised $509,000 towards classroom materials from donors across the country."
Community members can explore the different projects that Hamilton County Schools teachers have posted on the district's partnership page at www.donorschoose.org/district/hamilton-county-schools/.
If you have news about local schools you'd like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.