League For Innovation Recognizes Expressway To Tiger Town Partnership | Greenville Business Magazine

The Expressway to Tiger Town initiative, a
partnership between Greenville County Schools, Greenville Technical College,
and the Clemson University College of Education, has received a 2019 Innovation
of the Year Award from the League for Innovation in the Community College. The
initiative creates a seamless pathway from high school to a degree in education
from Clemson University and is intended to stem the teacher shortage in South
Carolina.

The partnership creates pathways for students
from Greenville County Schools to begin taking dual credit courses through
Greenville Technical College while in high school, completing one year of
college before graduation. Students will then spend a year on a Greenville
Technical College campus, completing the second year of college before transferring
to Clemson University and earning a teacher preparation bachelor’s degree. The
program allows a student to complete a bachelor’s degree three years out of
high school or to spend an additional year at Clemson to earn a master’s degree
and the additional knowledge, training and pay that come with it.

Expressway to Tiger Town
gives future teachers an affordable and accelerated path to success. By
following this pathway, students can save money on college tuition and reduce
or even eliminate the debt that impacts many graduates.

The League for
Innovation award honors faculty, staff, and administrators at member colleges
who have created and implemented innovative programs, practices, partnerships,
policies, and activities that improve the institution’s ability to serve
students and the community. Winning initiatives improve quality, increase
efficiency, foster cost effectiveness, allow for replication, show creativity,
and are timely. The League for Innovation’s mission is to cultivate innovation
in the community college environment.

“We are pleased
to receive this award, which recognizes the truly innovative nature of the
Expressway to Tiger Town partnership,” said Dr. Keith Miller, president of
Greenville Technical College. “Not every community is as fortunate as ours in
the collaborative energy that exists among all levels of education. We work
closely with Greenville County Schools and Clemson University on many different
initiatives, and the Upstate benefits from this strong teamwork.”