The School Readiness Project began as a partnership between Ballad Health’s Community Improvement program and the Northeast Tennessee Consortium of School Districts. Stakeholders from local school districts meet regularly to develop a collective definition of “school readiness” and to select a universal screener for school readiness for the region.
Participating districts include Bristol City, Carter County, Cocke County, Elizabethton City, Greene County, Greeneville City, Hamblen County, Hancock County, Hawkins County, Jefferson County, Johnson City, Johnson County, Kingsport City, Newport City, Rogersville City, Sullivan County, Unicoi County, and Washington County.
School readiness begins at birth and is shaped by families, early care and education providers, and the community. A ready child is prepared physically, emotionally, socially, and intellectually. This means that children begin school ready to participate in and benefit from early learning experiences that help them be successful and excited to learn.
There are five developmental areas related to school readiness:
1. Approaches to Learning
2. Physical Development
3. Language and Literacy
4. Social and Personal Competency
5. Cognition and Math
The Niswonger Foundation was established in 2001 to make a positive and sustainable difference in education in Northeast Tennessee. This dream was envisioned by Scott M. Niswonger, who founded Landair Transport, Inc. and Forward Air Corporation. These companies were the first two Greeneville-based companies to be taken public in the history of Greene County, Tennessee. Jointly, the companies have combined annual revenue of over one-billion-dollars and employ more than 5000 people.
223 North Main Street
P.O. Box 1508
Greeneville, TN 37744
(423) 820-8181
(423) 588-5933