Williamson County, TN, Schools Create Bright Futures

Williamson County, TN’s, schools invest in innovative programs to create the next generation of business leaders.

By Teree Caruthers on November 15, 2023

Battle Ground Academy

In Williamson County, TN, both public and private schools equip students with the knowledge, skills and opportunities necessary to thrive in the job market, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, and promote social mobility.

Getting Ready for Work in Williamson County, TN

Ranked by Niche as one of the best school districts in the state, Williamson County Schools prepares students for more than 40 different career pathways through its Career, College and Technical Education (CCTE) program. The district recently received a $15 million grant to build an Innovation Hub, which will provide even more space for hands-on training in areas such as aviation, hospitality and tourism, and cybersecurity.

“We want to give kids opportunities to pursue their career interests, and we also want to give local businesses an opportunity to tap into these unbelievably talented kids here in Williamson County,” says Jeremy Qualls, executive director of CCTE and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center for Williamson County Schools.

Williamson County Schools

Turning Ideas Into Reality in Williamson County, TN

Williamson County Schools is also home to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC), a workspace designed to foster collaboration and innovation to help students learn to solve real-world problems and turn those solutions into business ideas. Students then pitch their ideas to local business owners in a “Shark Tank”-style competition with real money up for grabs.

“We offer unbelievable, rigorous academic programs, but the EIC is a particularly unique opportunity for students,” Qualls says. “We’re teaching students soft skills like communication. Our students learn to look people in the eye when they get on stage to give their pitch. We have kids go from not being able to say two words to leading class discussion. They also learn resourcefulness and conflict resolution.”

Qualls says in addition to building skills needed for successful careers, some students even turn their ideas into viable businesses – for example, Kids Create Fun Crate, which specializes in making custom activity boxes designed to spark creativity, innovation and confidence within kids.

Owner Grace Simmons says she came up with the idea for the company during the early days of the global pandemic when parents were looking for activities to keep their children busy. 

“I came into the EIC with an established business idea, but through the program, I was able to gain funding, resources and knowledge that was needed to expand. I learned so much about the fundamentals of business, interacted with the most amazing teachers, mentors and community leaders, and even found a sense of direction for my future career,” says Simmons, who is currently studying entrepreneurship at Baylor University. “The feedback and encouragement from the amazing EIC staff helped me learn different speaking techniques, which has grown my confidence and my ability.”

On several occasions, Williamson County Schools students at the EIC have partnered with the Tennessee Titans.

For the past couple of school years, the Tennessee Titans Creative Team has invited EIC students to develop programs or products that the NFL team can promote. One year saw the EIC come up with ideas for how the Titans can improve their visibility, with one student figuring out ways that the team can improve its TikTok presence.

The latest initiative occurred during the 2022-23 school year when students designed shoes that went along with the NFL’s annual My Cause, My Cleats program. The program involves players wearing artistic cleats on a given Sunday to promote charitable causes. The EIC students designed cleats that showcased causes such as Stronger than my Father, Stop Suicide, Best Buddies, New Hope Foundation (supports the chronically ill), Cafe Momentum (teaches restaurant skills to troubled teens) and FrankTown Open Hearts (helps inner-city youth in Franklin).

Battle Ground Academy

Focused on the Future in Williamson County, TN

The county’s private schools also play a role in preparing the next generation of business leaders. At Battle Ground Academy, a private K-12 college preparatory school in Franklin, students who enroll in the Entrepreneurial Leadership (EL) program learn critical thinking, creativity, teamwork, adaptability and resilience – skills that are transferable to any academic discipline or career and essential to the continued economic growth in Williamson County.

“Our mission is to ignite and nurture student curiosity, intellect and character, and our college preparatory K-12 curriculum incrementally builds a skill set for success after high school,” says Brad Dennis, director of entrepreneurial leadership at BGA.

As early as kindergarten, students are learning a foreign language, exploring engineering and design, engaging in character development curriculum, writing and sharing their work, and creating business ideas, Dennis says.

“And those concepts continue throughout their BGA academic career,” Dennis adds. “Creating the EL program and the additional concentrations expands our ability to nurture their curiosity.”

BGA’s EL program provides students with multiple opportunities to engage with the local business community. The school’s Yarbrough Family Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership hosts the BGA Ignite Series, which brings together a panel of business and industry leaders to discuss a topic through an entrepreneurial lens.

Each year, the center hosts an Entrepreneur-in-Residence to work with students, and a Lunch and Learn series brings in experts from different backgrounds to speak with students about their business and entrepreneurial experiences.

“By nurturing a student’s entrepreneurial spirit, the student becomes resilient in an ever-changing business environment, enabling them to be independent and creative thinkers while inculcating team-driven, problem-solving skills,” Dennis says.

Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.