New Future Ready Institute Announced at Tyner

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Hamilton County students will have a new educational opportunity moving forward.

A new Future Ready Institute was announced this morning at the Early Head Start center in Avondale.

It will be called One Chattanooga Institute of Early Care and Learning and be located at Tyner Academy.

This has come together due to a critical staffing shortage in childcare centers across the city.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said, “The COVID-19 Pandemic set off an acute child care crisis among other crises, that the city has yet to fully recover from.”

Despite this staffing shortage in early education settings, the city intends to expand the Head Start program by 200 seats.

A group of officials after the announcement of a Future Ready Institute for Early Education Learning at Tyner Academy.

In order to better fill these open positions, an announcement was made that officials hope will provide the next generation of early learning professionals in our city.

A million dollars over the next five years will be invested into the program by the city of Chattanooga via the American Rescue Plan.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp said, “Just the first of many, many examples of this cradle to career commitment that we’ve all made and there’s not a component of it that’s more important than others but if you had to say one is more important if you don’t get this piece right, it’s very hard to ever straighten it out later in life.”

Students who apply can expect a unique educational experience.

Karitsa Mosley Jones, the administrator for Chattanooga’s Department of Early Learning, said, “Alongside taking their regular education classes they will take classes in child development and early childhood education. They will work based experiences, site based experiences for shadowing or to learn how to be a high quality early learning provider.

The first cohort for the Future Ready Institute starts this fall, and applications for next year’s class begin on November 30.

Any Hamilton County student can apply.

Students who complete the program will be offered job shadowing and post-graduation job opportunities at Chattanooga Head Start, Purpose Point Learning Academy, Pneuma Christian Center, 21st Century Child Development Center and Champion Christian Learning Academy.

Any other early learning providers that would be interested in participating in this program can visit the city’s website for more information.