Public library holding ACT workshops next week

Published 8:00 pm Friday, May 12, 2017

Testing is one of the biggest stress inducers at the high school level.
To help deter some of the pressure, the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library is hosting a pair of ACT prep workshops next week – Monday, May 15 and Thursday, May 18. Both workshops will last from 5 to 8 p.m. and are free to the public.
Space is limited for the classes, according to Public Library Director Renita Barksdale. High school students looking to register need to email their name, school, and grade to highcountryedu@gmail.com to be included in the sessions. Each workshop will be handled by ACT tutor Amy Schaffner.
The workshops have been a success, according to Barksdale.
“Our most recent workshops at 15 students,” she said. “That proved to be the perfect number for Amy. It was a great turnout.”
Barksdale added that students must register via email to receive more of a hands-on example of how to approach the ACT. The library director said a confirmation comes in from Shaffner to the students via email.
Each workshop will contain an overview of the test structure and format, an opportunity to complete portions of English, math, reading and science sections, and strategies to help with maximizing time and potential test points.
Barksdale has gone on record before commending the efforts of Shaffner. Students that have taken her workshops have seen test scores rise by as much as five points.
“Amy is so intelligent,” Barksdale said. “She was holding these coding classes, and we started talking about the ACT and tutoring children. I asked her if she would be able to tutor children in this area. Coaching can be very expensive at times, but she agreed to hold these workshops. We’re very excited to see the response from the public.”
The public library has shown an interest in providing resources for educational opportunities for community members. Along with examples of the ACT workshops, the library has entered into a partnership with Northeast Tennessee Reconnect – an initiative to help make sure Tennesseans receive a college education in conjunction with Gov. Bill Haslam’s “Drive to 55” initiative.
For more information about the happenings at the public library, either visit the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library or call (423) 547-6360.

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