"Through Volkswagen E-Labs, Hamilton County students have learned the importance of manufacturing and technology. On Thursday, close to 200 teachers from 17 states learned how a project empowers local students for future employment. Michael Stone is the Vice President of Innovation Learning for the Public Education Foundation.

He said, “Today, we kicked off the sixth annual Chattanooga Fab Institute. It’s a joint partnership between the Public Education Foundation, Volkswagen group of America and Hamilton County Schools. Where we bring in 175 teachers from 17 states to come and get hands-on experience in the Volkswagen E-Labs here in our community.”

For the 13th consecutive year, local public-school teachers have earned grants for self-designed summer fellowships that they will use to enrich the knowledge of their students. The grants are made possible by the national non-profit Fund for Teachers and its partnership with Public Education Foundation.

“Congratulations to the seventeen local public-school teachers who won a 2024 Fund for Teachers Fellowship!”, said Dan Challener, president of Public Education Foundation.

Public Education Foundation is immensely proud and honored to have contributed to the professional journeys of Catherine Casselman, Olivia Kane, and Matty Hardy, who have been recognized as Hamilton County Schools' Teachers of the Year. Catherine Casselman is a Project Inspire alumna, an Innovative Educator Fellow, and she serves on the eLab innovation team at East Side Elementary. Olivia Kane is a Project Inspire alumna and a STEM Fellow. Matty Hardy is a STEM Fellow and the VW eLab specialist at Normal Park Upper School. All three teachers of the year exemplify the dedication and innovation we value in educators. Their achievements are a testament to their commitment to teaching excellence, and we feel privileged to collaborate with such outstanding educators.

Four graduates of Public Education Foundation’s Passport Scholars program have been selected to receive grants that will reduce or eliminate their remaining college loans. From 2000 to 2020, PEF’s Passport Scholars program provided more than 150 Hamilton County students with an opportunity to
travel anywhere in the United States to do advanced learning the summer before their junior year in high school. This autumn, Kitty Caldwell, the founder of the Passport Scholars program, made funds
available to Passport Scholars who had graduated from college and still had college loans to repay.

“Michael Barr is an impressive, hard-working, accomplished young man,” said Dr. Dan Challener, the PEF president. “PEF is delighted to recognize him; it is especially fitting that our award for Michael also honors Yancy Freeman, who did so much for PEF, UTC and our community.”

"This space was really designed for our team and educators from across Hamilton County to have a really nice place to collaborate and work together for the strengthening and supporting public schools," Dr. Challener said.