Yesterday the Ford Motor Company Fund named Nashville, Tennessee as the country’s first Ford Next Generation Learning Model Community. The city of Nashville is the first community to construct study environments that will help prepare high school students for college and their careers.
The Ford Fund also announced yesterday that they will make a $25,000 grant to The Academies of Nashville in order to create courses of study for administration and teachers. The modules will explain how Ford Next Generation Learning relates to The Academies of Nashville’s strategic plan, and they will also be shared throughout the Ford Next Generation Learning Network. Additionally, educators from 29 states throughout the country have toured The Academies of Nashville over the past three years.
“The Academies of Nashville has proven itself time and again as a model of innovation, leadership and competence in fulfilling the promise of Ford Next Generation Learning,” said Cheryl Carrier, executive director of Ford Next Generation Learning. “Nashville’s success in redefining the high school experience has helped dramatically improve educational outcomes such as graduation rates and college participation.”
Seventeen-thousand students from Nashville-area high schools have been learning in these proven academies. The students interact in career-centered or interest-themed environments, making the learning process more enjoyable and engaging.
Some vital community partners of this project include Alignment Nashville, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the PENCIL Foundation, and the Mayor of Nashville’s office.
For 2014 the Ford Fund will donate $800,000 to the Nashville area, which makes their contributing total to over $7 million over the past decade.
No Comments yet