SouthEast Bank investing $154 thousand into two Chattanooga public charter schools

Montessori Elementary at Highland Park student in a classroom (Photo by Montessori Elementary at Highland Park)

SouthEast Bank announced a three-year investment of $154,500 into Chattanooga public charter schools Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) and the Montessori Elementary at Highland Park (MEHP).

This investment comes in partnership with the Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation (YWLAF) of Chattanooga and it will help MEHP hire three new teacher assistants and provide funding for a $1,500 scholarship for one CGLA graduating senior. Funds will also benefit the CGA Backpack for Success program.

Ron Jones (left), Regional President of SouthEast Bank, and Gus Diamondidus (right), Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy (CGLA) and Montessori Elementary at Highland Park (MEHP) Development Director, pose for a photo in celebration of SouthEast Bank’s three-year investment of $154,500 in the organizations. (Photo by SouthEast Bank)

“At SouthEast Bank, we believe that investing in education means investing in the future leaders who will drive our region forward,” said SouthEast Bank Regional President Ron Jones. “When you meet the young women who have been a part of CGLA, their energy, enthusiasm, curiosity and commitment are immediately evident. Supporting them and the students of MEHP as they reach their potential will undoubtedly benefit our community for years to come.”

CGLA and MEHP are tuition-free public charter schools, each serving 90 percent low-income and at-risk students with an emphasis on small class sizes, well-rounded STEM instruction and leadership development according to a news release.

In 2021 YWLAF expanded its reach in Chattanooga’s core urban neighborhoods by opening MEHP to serve co-ed pre-K through fifth grade students. Nearly 800 students are currently enrolled across both schools, and this number is projected to grow by a significant percentage over the next two academic years according to the news release.

SouthEast Bank’s investment will provide salaries for key support staff who will assist in organizing learning materials, maximizing the small classroom community and addressing students’ individual learning needs at MEHP. The donation to CGLA’s Backpack for Success Program will help provide food supplies, school supplies and uniforms. The initiative also offsets testing and college application fees and provides laptops and home internet access.

“Southeast Bank investing in CGLA and MEHP will help break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities for students to succeed academically and beyond,” said Gus Diamondidis, Director of Advancement and Fund Development at YWLF. “By providing early childhood education opportunities for at-risk children – beginning at age 3 – we believe we can have an even greater impact on children in Hamilton County.”