#InTheirVoices: Trey Cunningham
Watch Trey Cunningham, a student from Brownsville, share how his experience growing up in a majority Black, rural Tennessee town has shaped the questions he will ask at #InTheirVoices: Students Speak with Secretary Cardona. Watch the video
#InTheirVoices: Chinaya Mason
Watch Chinaya Mason, a student from Knoxville, TN, discuss how losing 5 classmates to gun violence since January 2021 has impacted her final months as a student at Austin East High School. She’ll use this experience to inform her questions for Sec. Cardona about school safety. Watch the video
‘Brave spaces’ needed: How schools can foster meaningful conversations after the 2020 election
Tennessee students and educators gathered virtually to brainstorm how schools can foster meaningful classroom conversations in the wake of the most divisive presidential election in modern U.S. history. The event was hosted by Chalkbeat and The Education Trust in Tennessee on Dec. 14. Watch the video
Student Blog: How the Pandemic Helped Me Find Purpose
At the beginning of the pandemic, I felt clueless and trapped, knowing that I would be spending weeks, and now months, stuck at home with my family. I’d been independent for three years while attending the University of Tennessee, and suddenly, I had to revert to how things were before I moved away for college. I am from a small rural town called Brownsville that’s four hours outside of Memphis. Read the full story
The Education Trust in Tennessee’s EmpowerEd Student William Collins Performs Deep River
William Collins is a student at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee where he is a Fisk Jubilee Singer. In this video, he performs the song “Deep River” as part of The Education Trust’s virtual conference, “Education Equity in the COVID-19 Era” on Oct. 14, 2020. William is a student leader with The Education Trust in Tennessee’s EmpowerEd (https://empoweredtn.org/), a storytelling series focused on capturing the experiences of underrepresented students during the COVID-19 crisis. Watch the video
Stories from Tennessee during an uncertain fall semester
Much has changed since COVID-19 disrupted the spring semester for students around the nation. Much has also stayed the same. Tennessee students are embarking on yet another uncertain time of schooling – as their state is one of the first in the nation to begin a brick-and-mortar reopening of its schools. While some students in rural counties are preparing for days back in a school building, others in Tennessee’s largest school districts are settling into another season of online learning. Watch the video
College corner: Tennessee students discuss higher ed amid COVID-19
The coronavirus has heightened inequities within higher education, disrupted campus life, and put a financial strain on many families. As the fall semester gets started, we want to hear directly from students. Chalkbeat Tennessee and The Education Trust in Tennessee brought together college students to share their thoughts at this uncertain moment. Watch the video
Ommay Farah | Next Door Neighbors | NPT
Ommay Farah, a Pakistani-American high school student in Nashville, Tennessee, confronts the challenges of pursuing her educational goals while learning remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. Produced in partnerships with The Education Trust in Tennessee. Watch the video
Ruby Aguilar | Next Door Neighbors | NPT
Ruby Aguilar, a college student studying English education in Nashville, TN, reflects on the needs of marginalized students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Produced in partnership with The Education Trust in Tennessee. Watch the video
Johanna Olvera: Valedictorian of Freedom Preparatory Academy
We wanted to give Memphis valedictorians a stage to share their speeches with the world as graduation ceremonies across the city and nation were disrupted due to COVID-19. Johanna Olvera is the 2020 valedictorian at Freedom Preparatory Academy. Watch the video
