CMT AND COUNTRY STAR COURTNEY COLE REVEAL DATES FOR STATEWIDE “EMPOWERING EDUCATION” TOUR IN LOUISIANA

01/23/18

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CMT, LCTCS and Louisiana Calling Shine a Light on Educational Opportunities with Free Concerts throughout State

NASHVILLE – January 23, 2018 – CMT and Louisiana’s own country star Courtney Cole will soon rule the road in the first-ever statewide “Empowering Education” tour. CMT revealed dates for a series of eight free concerts today viaFacebook, which officially kick off March 5 in Bossier City, La. The “CMT Empowering Education Tour of Louisiana” is hosted in partnership with local education and nonprofit groups Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges System (LCTCS) and Louisiana Calling. The tour was first announced last fall, and is part of a larger initiative that seeks to bring awareness to educational opportunities and increase the number of work-ready residents in the state.

A Louisiana native, singer/songwriter Courtney delivers a spirited live show with authentic lyrics and a hint of her New Orleans roots. She has opened for the biggest names in country music like Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney and Thomas Rhett, and was named an artist to watch by Spotify and Huffington Post. She’s a vocal supporter of education, and has been named one of CMT’s “Next Women of Country.” Courtney amassed thousands of streams for her poignant and self-produced documentary, aptly titled “The Rockumentary,” which chronicles the ups and downs of her path to super-stardom. Additionally, her EP “For the Love of Me” is available via digital retailers. For more about Courtney, visit CourtneyColeMusic.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“There’s nothing I love more than being on the road, so to do it in my home state for education is truly incredible,” said Courtney. “If I can inspire just one person to follow their heart and make their world better, then we’ve accomplished what we came here to do.”

Tickets for select dates are FREE and available to general public, and can be reserved beginning today via LCTCS.edu.  CMT’s “Empowering Education” tour is scheduled to hit the following cities:

*NOTE: Select shows for Jena, Jennings and Lacombe are invitation-only and reserved. There will not be an opportunity to reserve tickets for these shows.

The “CMT Empowering Education Tour of Louisiana” serves as an opportunity to build awareness of educational and workforce training opportunities available at the local level, particularly in rural communities. Each of the selected schools submitted a formal application outlining workforce goals specific to their community. Schools were chosen based on demonstrated need and the potential for how this partnership could make a positive impact in their community. Schools not selected for the tour will still receive support as part of the campaign, including customized co-branded marketing and promotional materials for use on radio, TV, online and in print.

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana has unprecedented demand for skilled workers throughout the state, and these positions often require training or education beyond a high school diploma. Earlier this year, CMT, LCTCS and Louisiana Calling committed to work alongside community and technical colleges in a statewide campaign to connect Louisianans with the many available opportunities for workforce training and education in their own communities.

CMT’s Empowering Education community college initiative, the channel’s grassroots education campaign, was first announced in 2014 at the Clinton Global Initiative-America meeting. Working in collaboration with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the campaign experienced early success as 10 pilot partner schools hosted local events, bringing star-power and helping put a face on education by highlighting success stories of students. Since 2014, the campaign has worked with 29 colleges in some of the nation’s most economically-depressed regions to highlight the importance of earning a degree or certificate.

ABOUT LCTCS:

In 2017, Louisiana's community and technical colleges served and provided instruction and workforce training to over 131,000 students. More than 24,185 students graduated from our colleges, which represents a 23% increase in graduates over the last three years. Our colleges have earned a national reputation as colleges of excellence and as shining examples of efficiency and productivity. For two consecutive years, Lumina Foundation, one of the nation's most respected educational and philanthropic organizations commissioned that Louisiana has the highest percentage in the nation of working age adults who hold a high-quality post-secondary certificate and that the state's overall degree attainment rate improved from 48th to 26th in the nation.

ABOUT LOUISIANA CALLING:

Louisiana Calling is a nonprofit organization supported by a coalition of passionate people and committed organizations from all corners of the Louisiana and beyond. Louisiana Calling’s mission is to develop and conduct a multiyear public messaging campaign that includes traditional media, new media, and on-the-ground resources and strategic partnerships – all designed to help Louisianans discover and appreciate the many educational pathways that lead to high-value jobs and sustainable careers available in Louisiana today.

ABOUT CMT EMPOWERING EDUCATION:

CMT Empowering Education is a comprehensive educational campaign that provides both an online resource, www.CMTEmpoweringEducation.com, and on-the-ground support to aid prospective students in overcoming the most commonly perceived obstacles to furthering education. The initiative is founded on education research and insights through a partnership between Viacom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Inaugural advising partners for the CMT Empowering Education campaign included Achieving the Dream, the Association of Career and Technical Education, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Center for Workforce and Economic Development at the American Association of Community Colleges, the National Skills Coalition and Skills for America's Future (the Aspen Institute).

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