CHATTANOOGA TN – The Southeast Tennessee STEM Initiative, a coalition of Hamilton County Schools Director Dr. Rick Smith, Chattanooga State President Dr. Jim Catanzaro, and area businesses and foundation leaders announced today acceptance of a $1.85 million award to establish a STEM high school located at Chattanooga State. This Southeast Tennessee STEM initiative will also create a regional hub focused on advancing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills in all area schools. Funded by Tennessee’s Race to the Top award, the STEM regional hub and school will help expand STEM education and boost student achievement through innovative practices in teaching and learning.

The new STEM high school will open in August 2012 with a ninth grade class of 75 students. The school will be located on the campus of Chattanooga State Community College. Dr. Jim Catanzaro, one of the driving forces behind establishing a STEM high school locally said, “We are extremely pleased to be part of this new educational venture that will provide young people in our community early exposure to a strong science and technology foundation for future study and rewarding careers.”

The school will be located on the main campus of Chattanooga State in the Center for Engineering Technology Arts & Sciences next to the Engineering Technology Division, which houses the newly christened WACKER Institute with its $5 million pilot plan and training facility. “Our partnerships with industry leaders like Alstom, TVA, Volkswagen America, and WACKER Polysilicon will expose STEM high school students to opportunities and experiences that are not available to engineering students at most four-year colleges and universities,” Dr Catanzaro added.

Dr. Rick Smith has been involved in developing Southeast Tennessee's STEM program and generating support among community partners. "This school will not only expand the STEM skills of the students attending it, but it will also advance STEM education for students and teachers throughout the entire region,” Smith said of the school and its hub.

Although the STEM school will serve students at the high school level, the STEM hub will help incubate and disseminate best practices to all K-12 schools in the region. "The hub will connect teachers, parents, students and the business community to the latest innovations in STEM education," said Dan Challener, president of Public Education Foundation. "Region-wide teacher training programs, a web system featuring STEM resources and best practices, and collaborative partnerships with STEM-related businesses are just a few of the programs the hub will provide in its mission to advance STEM skills in Southeast Tennessee."