TN Promise students participating in the tnAchieves program crossed a significant milestone this month. Over the last 15 years, tnAchieves students have given back more than 4 million hours of community service.

A pillar and requirement of the organization since its 2008 launch, students spend their time volunteering at local schools, religious organizations, animal shelters, food pantries and participate in community cleanup projects such as working with state parks. An overwhelming 96 percent of students report that they enjoy their time volunteering and find their experiences to be fulfilling. Students may also participate in job shadowing and career exploration activities to meet this requirement.

“tnAchieves is built on a foundation of giving back,” said tnAchieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. “We hope that students find meaningful opportunities to give back to the communities that are investing in them while also exploring potential career opportunities. This unique component of TN Promise allows students to expand their horizons, and we are proud of the more than 4 million hours they have contributed to worthwhile causes across our state.”

The next deadline for students to complete and submit their eight hours is December 1, 2022. Students must submit hours at www.tnachieves.org to remain eligible to receive the TN Promise scholarship for the spring semester.

This Friday, November 18, students will be volunteering at community college campuses across the state to earn hours for the upcoming deadline. Students are spending the day assisting the campus food pantries and working in the community garden at Pellissippi State Community College to address food insecurity that may prevent students from successfully completing coursework.

tnAchieves is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has been providing scholarships with mentor support since 2008.