As you walk in the large classroom, students are happily eating their snacks and chatting with friends. Then the students separate and form two single-file lines with each student holding onto the next student’s shoulders. The first student takes a hop, and then the next, and then the next to move the line like an inchworm caterpillar. The winner of the exercise is the team who reaches the finish line the fastest. This exercise uses some of the fabled energy of middle school students while incorporating teamwork because the students have to pay attention to their teammates so they know when to jump. 

Hats off to Deloitte, a fabulous PENCIL Partner who has hosted FAFSA drives at Antioch, McGavock and Overton high schools for the past five years. More than 1,100 students, family members, and educators attended last month’s sessions, with 102 volunteers helping 463 students complete the important Free Application for Federal Student Aid – an increase of more than 60% from 2014. The FAFSA is even more essential this year because students can qualify for free community college through Tennessee Promise. If you know of a student who still needs to complete the application, information is available here.