Rutherford County, TN is all in on the Amazing Shake program developed by the Ron Clark Academy to cultivate interpersonal and professional communications skills early in students’ lives. Kids in grades 4-8 are eligible to participate in the county’s Amazing Shake competition and potentially go on to the Global event in March 2025. In fact, many students in Rutherford County and the other schools across the country that participate have been practicing their handshakes and their conversations for years. Last year, local students placed in the nationals, which you can read about here.
Acquiring skills at this type of communication is like learning a second language, or maybe I should say like reviving an extinct language. Either way, it’s so much easier when you start young, and such a gift to their future selves and their future employers.
Rutherford County cites this program and several others that prepare students for the workforce on it’s website for parents and prospects to review.
Here’s some background on the national program and the resources it provides.