Chattanooga, TN —Hamilton County Schools (HCS) proudly hosted a ribbon cutting for the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Construction Building at Sale Creek Middle High School (SCMHS). The event celebrated the hard work of students and staff over the last few years in transforming the school’s pavilion into a fully functioning, hands-on learning environment for the school’s Structural Systems Future Ready Institute.
“This facility represents the power of hands-on learning and the commitment of our students, staff, and our community,” said Dr. LeAnn Welch.
“What makes this building truly meaningful is this CTE space was built by our students as part of their coursework in the Structural Systems pathway. This celebration has been a long work in progress, and I’m proud of our students for taking ownership of seeing this project through for their peers and our community."
The new building, which the school started working towards in 2020, will serve as a learning space where students gain hands-on experience in structural systems. Students contributed to the building by completing the framing, insulation, drywall, painting, and more. Led by their teacher Mr. Ron Cox, who will now use the building as his primary classroom. This building will provide space for students to tackle projects indoors, where previously they were dependent on weather conditions.
In addition to celebrating student achievement, district leaders recognized the partnerships and support that made the project possible. Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson expressed appreciation for the Innovative Schools Model (ISM) grant, community partners, the Future Ready Students team, and the HCS maintenance team for their role in bringing the project to life.
“These students took on a project that meant as much to them as it will to this community. Their dedication to this project is shown in their attention to the little details. The CTE Construction Building exemplifies the opportunities we want for our students across the district,” said Dr. Justin Robertson. “I’m grateful to our team members, including Sale Creek Middle High leadership and educators, our Future Ready Students department, and our Maintenance team, for helping make this happen. From the school level to the district level, our staff is committed to continuing to work together to remove barriers to learning and create opportunities for all students.”
