2021 Summer Institutes

This summer, Project GRAD has partnered with Pellissippi State, University of TN and TCAT to hold institutes for students. These collaborations began in 2002, 2003 and 2016 and since then have provided over 5,000 experiences for 2,868 students. Completion of two summer institutes allows students to be eligible to receive the $4,000 Project GRAD scholarship. The institutes consist of students attending classes on a college campus, which allows them to get a deeper look into college life and at the end, students receive a $150 stipend. For the 2021 summer institutes, 240 students are anticipated to complete the program.

The institutes run for two weeks and throughout this time students will sit in classes, shadow other students and really get to understand the routine of a college student. At the UT institute, students get to take classes with a specialty track of their choice and share meals on campus, all coming together to create a true college experience for these attendees. At TCAT, students participate in hands-on learning that showcases to them what it will really be like to work in the technical industries they are exploring. The Pellissippi State institutes also includes hands on course learning as well as a day of community service where groups go to various locations and help out.