Most TN Promise students lag on service requirement
Only one in four Tennessee Promise students has logged the eight hours of volunteer work needed to remain in the program, with less than a month to go before the deadline.
The statistic has triggered "a campaign of constant communication" from officials like Mike Krause, executive director of Tennessee Promise.
This is the first program requirement many students have faced since graduating from high school, where counselors and teachers could help them through the process. Krause said he and his staff are flooding the more than 31,500 eligible students with text messages and emails encouraging them to finish their community service during their summer break.
If students don't complete and submit their hours by Aug. 1, they will no longer be eligible for the scholarship program, which offers the new high school graduates a tuition-free ticket to community and technical colleges.
Officials say they aren't panicking — many students fulfilled previous requirements at the last minute — but they are reaching out with urgency.
"You have come this far," Krause said, recalling his message to students. "Do not let community service be a barrier between you and attending college."
The state is pointing students toward remaining chances to volunteer. On July 18, every state park is holding special community service events for Tennessee Promise students. Students will have the opportunity to paint at Bicentennial Capitol Mall, clear honeysuckle bushes from Harpeth River State Park and build a log cabin at Bledsoe Creek State Park, among other activities.
"This is a win-win," Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement. "It's a great way for our Tennessee Promise students to fulfill their community service requirements while enjoying and improving our state parks and probably learning a little bit more about our state in the process."
Students can find other options through their community colleges or tnAchieves, an organization that partnered with the state to guide Tennessee Promise students in 84 counties through the process.
Community service is "a really lovely part of the program that people don't often talk about," said Krissy DeAlejandro, executive director of tnAchieves.
Even now, with about of a quarter of Tennessee Promise students done with their volunteering, DeAlejandro said more than 72,200 service hours have been logged across the state. Those volunteer hours are worth more than $1.4 million, according to an estimate from the federal government.
Reach Adam Tamburin at 615-726-5986 and on Twitter @tamburintweets.
Volunteering opportunities
To learn more about volunteering in a state park on July 18, contact Nancy Schelin at nancy.schelin@tn.gov or 615-532-5249.