THINC College & Career Academy achieved Model Academy status with the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) this November. On hand at the NCAC National Conference in Philadelphia to receive the award were (l-r); Dr. Chris Williams, Veleka Battle, Carrie Tomlin, Aidan Blackwell, Dr. Brian Shumate, and Gerald Wyatt.

Dr. Williams, Mrs. Tomlin, and Mr. Blackwell also presented at the conference on how THINC and Troup County Schools works with their regional business and industry partners to provide career programs such as THINC Expeditions (Youth Apprenticeship) and THINC Fast (interviewing practice) to Troup County students.

Hollis Hand Elementary raised $5,200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) through their Pennies for Patients campaign. 


LLS is a nonprofit organization fighting blood cancer. Their mission is to cure blood cancers and improve the lives of patients and their families. LLS recently launched a new Children’s Initiative which seeks to accelerate treatments with fewer harmful side effects so that young patients with cancer not only survive, but thrive for generations to come. 


By donating toward this worthy cause, students learned valuable pro-social skills like kindness, sharing, and empathy. Five homeroom classrooms earned a pizza party for bringing in the most donations. Last year, Hollis Hand also raised over $5,000 for LLS. Pictured with Mrs. Natalie Doerr, the school counselor, are students Cameriyan Hutchinson, Mae Lemmo and Leighton Shelnutt.

Berta Weathersbee Elementary (BWES) students brought their curiosity and questions to the farm as they spent a day of learning around math and science.
 

There was a space and science center planetarium in the gym, lizards and monkeys from Wild Animal Safari on the second floor of the school, weird science experiments by a scientist in a white coat in the auditorium, and a petting zoo behind the school close to the Kona Ice truck.
 

Students were fascinated as they touched llamas, lambs, and goats from Sims Pond Farm. They learned the lamb was only two weeks old so they had to be careful with their touch. Before the planetarium presentation, students were able to crawl through a small tube as they walked into a darkened globe reminiscent of a midnight sky. Employees from the Coca Cola Space Science center gave a 10 minute presentation on the planets and stars.

The vaping epidemic is being brought to the forefront in Troup County starting with WellStar West Georgia and WellStar Medical Group, TCSS, and local law enforcement as the entities partnered to share the medical dangers of E-Cigarettes (E-Cigs) and tobacco products with the community.
 

The panelists shared vaping device designs to look for when it pertains to E-Cigs, conversation starters for parents to begin the discussion at home, and a presentation created by the American Academy of Family Physicians called TarWars.
 

Dr. Salman Fidahussein, Chief of Staff at Wellstar West Georgia and Medical Director of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, told the attendees, “Unfortunately, we see a lot of cases that could have been prevented. We have to emphasize education on prevention because by the time we see the disease, it is often too late. We at WellStar want to collaborate with our school system and other community leaders so that we can reach as many parents and children as possible and educate them on the dangers of tobacco products and e-cigs so that we can have a healthier and more successful future generations.”

THINC Expeditions, a Work-Based Learning program of the Troup County School System, is starting its 2020 recruitment phase. THINC Expeditions works with major local employers to offer internships and paid positions to rising 11th & 12th grade students willing to explore work in high-demand careers. Positions available in manufacturing and healthcare facilities are the focus this year, which include internships in engineering, marketing, IT, and accounting, as well as departmental rotations for exposure.  Business and community employer partners in THINC Expeditions include: Colony Bank, Duracell, Hyundai Transys, Interface, KIA, Malone Staffing, Mando, Millikin, Mobis, and TrackMobile. 

Student information sessions have been scheduled for all of the high schools and THINC: Jan. 21 (LHS), Jan. 23 (THS), Jan 30 (CHS), Feb. 5 (THINC).

Any businesses or organization who are interested in learning more should contact Carrie Tomlin - 706-668-6806. Any parents or students interested in learning more should contact Christopher Lee at leeca@troup.org or 706-668-6800.