April 16, 2025
By:
The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the $50,000 Three Star Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) to support the Digital Media and Marketing Program at DeKalb County High School (DCHS).
TNECD’s Three Star Director Jody Sliger recently visited DCHS to see firsthand the new high-end equipment made possible by the grant funding. This grant, applied for by the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber, provides students access to cutting-edge technology designed to enhance learning in digital media, audio-visual production, and marketing.
Chamber Director Suzanne Williams shared her excitement for the project:
“What a great opportunity to provide students with the capability to better learn how to use digital media and audio-visual production equipment in marketing by creating promotional videos and social media content for the school and the community. One of our goals is to connect students with local businesses to learn real marketing skills while promoting our county.”
Elijah Cross, instructor for the Digital Media and Marketing class, has been putting the new tools to work. He and his students launched a podcast called TigerNation, learning essential communication and technical skills for modern marketing careers. The new equipment —including high-quality laptops, podcasting tools, and a 3-in-1 Snapmaker system—will allow students to develop advanced media and marketing content.
Brad Leach, DCHS STEM Instructor/Career and Technical Education Director, added:
“Our goal is to prepare learners for careers in planning, managing, and performing marketing activities, as well as managing the movement of people, materials, and products. Many jobs in the marketing career cluster have a bright outlook and are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.”
Equipment Purchased with the Three Star Grant Includes:
2 Drone Systems
5 Canon Rebel Camera Kits with Lenses
1 Studio Camera with Studio Lighting Kit
1 Zoom Podcast Studio Setup
1 Snapmaker 3-in-1 3D Printer, Engraver, and Router
20 Dell Laptops with Adobe Creative Cloud Photo & Video Editing Software
24 Student Chairs/Stools
8 WorkPro Student Worktables
The Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber serves as the official county administrator for the state’s Three Star Program, which recognizes communities that meet rigorous standards in areas such as planning, leadership, workforce development, education, and economic growth. Certified communities, such as DeKalb County, are eligible for additional incentives and support, including priority consideration in infrastructure, training, and community development funding.
Williams concluded, “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Brad Leach who handled all the purchasing, teacher Eli Cross, and the TN Department of Economic and Community Development. This grant ensures our students are equipped with the latest tools to learn in-demand skills and prepare for high-skill, high-wage jobs in our region or beyond.”
About the Three Star Program
ThreeStar is a strategic community development program developed to assist communities in preparing for a better future, for today and tomorrow – and for generations to come.
Participating counties (and cities in these counties) are eligible for a 4% discount (for eligible projects) on both the business development and community development ability-to-pay calculations (CDBG and FastTrack) each year the county fulfills the requirements of the ThreeStar program. CDBG also provides a bonus based on ThreeStar participation up to $25,000. Additionally, only cities and counties that are active participants in the ThreeStar program are eligible to participate in other select TNECD Rural and Community Development programs.