Class Notes: Lee University releases class schedule for Encore Program, classes for those 60 or older, and more education news

Lee University releases class schedule for Encore Program

For $25 per class, people age 60 or older can take up to two courses at Lee University this spring through the school's Encore Program.

The program is a part of the institution's commitment of service to the community and allows older citizens to take college-level courses. Spring 2020 offerings include courses on fitness, health and aging, computer applications, Biblical studies and history classes. Some courses include: Back to the Sixties: "And the Beat Goes On," Basic Microsoft Applications, Introduction to Classical Music Appreciation, Joint Conditioning, Living Life with Ecclesiastes, Scotland: Then & Now, Tennessee in Tennis Shoes: A Traveling History Course, The Age of Napoleon and The iHows in the iWorld: A Guide to the iPhone and iPad.

Class times vary, all courses are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and spaces are limited. Students may choose up to two courses from the list of traditional courses and special lecture topics. All enrolled students will have free entry to campus concerts, plays and athletic events, according to a news release.

Registration will begin on Jan. 7, 2020. For more information about the Encore Program or a full list of offered courses, contact Lee University Community Relations at 423-614-8598, communityrelations@leeuniversity.edu or visit www.leeuniversity.edu/encore/.

Districts get state funds for middle school STEM, career and tech education

Schools in districts across Tennessee will receive funding this January thanks to start-up grants to fund middle school career and technical education; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education; and early post-secondary opportunities thanks to Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Education.

The grants were announced this week by the education department, and districts will receive funds on Jan. 1, 2020.

"The sooner we can introduce valuable career and technical skills to students, the better prepared they are to enter the workforce when they graduate," Lee said in a statement. "I'm pleased to see these grants are being delivered and I am incredibly optimistic about the impact they will have on Tennessee's kids."

Blount, Bradley, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie were school districts in the Chattanooga area that received funds for programs within one of the three categories.

For a complete list of grant recipients, visit: www.tn.gov/education/news/2019/12/19/middle-school-stem-start-up-grants.html.

Chattanooga native awarded 2019 Guy Harvey Scholarship

Ashley Schenk, a Chattanooga native and doctoral student at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, was recently recognized by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and awarded the 2019 Guy Harvey Scholarship Award.

Schenk received a $5,000 scholarship to support her individual academic program as well as a certificate designed and signed by world-renowned marine wildlife artist and conservationist Guy Harvey. Schenk is a doctoral student at Florida Atlantic studying veterinary medicine. Her research is focused on conducting an ecosystem survey of hogfish populations in South Florida, according to a news release.

"We are proud to be supporting these brilliant young minds who are the next generation of researchers, marine biologists and conservationists," Harvey said in a statement. "We want to do everything we can to fuel their passion and acknowledge the tremendous work they are helping to pioneer."

The Guy Harvey Scholarship Award was established in 2010 through a partnership between Florida Sea Grant and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to recognize graduate students at Florida universities whose research focuses on the biology, ecology, habitat or management of fish in the state's marine environment.

If you have news about local schools you'd like included in Class Notes, email Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com.

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