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Read the full article from Gallatin News HERE

Sumner County Schools (SCS) was showcased at the state launch of  ‘Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee,’ a mobile workshop last week at Vol State Community College. It was a first look at the new cutting-edge laboratory-in-a-truck now available for Tennessee students, educators and industry professionals.

‘Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee’ is funded by private industry sponsors and an appropriation from Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly. The mobile workforce unit partners with K-12 and technical schools across the state, providing tours and interactive engagement. Tennessee’s Chamber of Commerce selected Vol State for the state launch.

“This is a great resource for schools in the state of Tennessee,” said Chase Moore, SCS Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) supervisor. “We were honored that Gallatin was chosen by the state Chamber of Commerce for the launch.”

‘Be Pro Be Proud’ is a national organization that aims to address the skills gap by promoting skilled trade careers and providing training opportunities. The future of technical careers is recognized by businesses and industries worldwide, and the mobile workshop—equipped with multiple interactive simulations, including virtual reality experiences—offers a captivating platform demonstrating a wide range of skilled workforce jobs.

The program’s goal is to inform students about high-paying careers that are in demand and do not require a traditional four-year degree. The mobile workspace provides hands-on training for careers in manufacturing, construction, forestry, agriculture, commercial truck driving, and more.

Tennessee is the sixth state in the nation to acquire the ‘Be Pro Be Proud’ traveling workstation. According to Moore, any school district in the state can reserve the mobile workstation by using the website to reserve a visit. “The ‘Be Pro Be Proud’ truck gives a student the ability to experience various careers through simulators,” he explained. “There’s a commercial truck driver simulator, an excavator simulator, and other heavy-equipment operator simulators. There are virtual reality headsets too. The purpose is to expose students to careers they may have heard of, but don’t know what they entail. It gives them a taste of what options are out there.”

During the launch Dr. Scott Langford, director of schools, spoke before an audience of industry and education professionals and took the opportunity to tout the district’s achievements in the tech field.

“In the last academic year alone, Sumner County students received over 1,000 industry certifications in diverse fields—from nursing assistant to Microsoft certifications,” he said. “We introduced Anatomage Tables in every high school, an addition typically only found in medical schools. We introduced an aviation program, assigned a career coach to every high school, and continued to have the most designated STEM schools in the state. ‘Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee’ aligns perfectly with our mission to prepare the next generation of professionals.”

Langford also mentioned the Hendersonville High School students who received national recognition when CBS Evening News featured the prosthetic hand they created for a fellow student.  

“And thanks to a valuable partnership with Gallatin Data Center, we offered K-12 students access to VEX robotics. As a result, Sumner County Schools will be hosting the state robotics competition in March, solidifying our leadership in this field,” Langford concluded.

Moore stressed the need for professionals in technical fields.

“The current skilled workforce is reaching or has already reached retirement age and the demand for these jobs has never been higher,” Moore said. “With ‘Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee,’ we aim to change the perception of these valuable career opportunities and allow our students to explore diverse professions that pay well—but don’t require a four-year college degree.”

“Sumner County Schools has already scheduled the ‘Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee’ truck to return in November. “The truck will be at Gallatin High School on Nov. 6-7, and Portland High School on Nov. 8–9,” added Moore. “We’ll be busing in students from all over the county—over 900 students will have the opportunity to experience the mobile workshop.”

The chairmen for the Tennessee ‘Be Pro Be Proud Tennessee’ mobile workstation project come from Meta and Nissan, and the founding council members come from the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Tennessee Forestry Association, the Tennessee Concrete Association, the Tennessee Trucking Association and Foundation, the Tennessee Roadbuilders Association, the Greater Tennessee Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, and McKee Foods.

For information on the mobile workshop and its related programs, visit the website at www.beprobeproudtn.org/.