Kingsport Presents Education Program To Harvard
Kingsport was among 16 finalists to present homegrown initiatives at
the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on Wednesday, May 27th.‚ Kingsport was
selected as one of the 16 finalists for the Innovations in American
Governance Award from the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation, which originally
had more than 600 applicants. For the presentation, the city presented its achievements in
educational policy since 1999.‚ Presenting for the City of Kingsport were Mayor Dennis Phillips and Dr. Bill Locke, President of Northeast State Community College.
The Ash Institute describes the Innovations in American Governance Award as "a significant force in recognizing and promoting excellence and
creativity in the public sector. Through its annual awards competition,
the Program provides concrete evidence that government can work to
improve the quality of life for citizens and that it deserves greater
public trust. By highlighting exemplary models of governments
innovative performance, the Program serves as a catalyst for continued
progress in addressing the nations most pressing public concerns."
Kingsport presented achievements in the Higher Education program and developments in educational policy over the past 10 years and emphasized the improvements in the economic and educational base since implementation of programs such as the Educate and Grow scholarship program and the creation of the Regional Center for Applied Technology.‚ These initiatives have been fundemental to the revitalization of the downtown area and have produced more jobs, higher property values, and most importantly a more educated citizenry and workforce.‚ The winners will be announced in September.‚ Three top prizes of $100,000 will be awarded and three will be awarded $50,000.‚ ‚
To read the Times-News article about the Award Presentation click here.
To view an overview of the finalists click here.
NEW –> To view the video of the presentation click here.