Woodmore Matters | Woodmore PTA

Have you ever heard of Woodmore Elementary School? It's a little school with a big heart right here in Brainerd. It's 98% black and working class and bursting with life. This isn't your average school—it's a "little engine that could," filled with amazing teachers and dedicated leadership.

But here's the deal: Woodmore's been overcrowded and under-resourced for way too long. Their faculty lounge is anything but loungy; the stage is overflowing with supplies, and basic comforts like a decent bathroom fan are missing. This isn't fair to the incredible educators who dedicate their days to these bright young minds. Enter

The $3,000 UNFoundation grant to the newly formed Woodmore PTA is aimed at supporting leaders as they recruit parents and ultimately serve students. Here’s where the money will go:

• (More) Cozy Faculty Lounge: Imagine a comfy couch, calming lamps, and a fresh coat of paint – a haven for teachers to recharge and refocus. ️

• Organized Stage Space: We'll clear the clutter with metal shelving units, freeing up the stage for its true purpose – inspiring performances and presentations! Possible a tune up for the piano, too.

• Learning Environment Boost: Two new tables and chairs will create an enrichment area for even more learning magic!

• Seed Money for the new PTA: After all, inclusion is everything. This will allow them to recruit members that can decide what else the funds should go toward.

Together, let's show Woodmore Elementary the love and support they deserve!

Male Teachers of Color | Hamilton County Schools Foundation

The Hamilton County Schools Foundation (HCSF) is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in education, aligning with the Tennessee State Board of Education's policy on Diversity and Inclusion.

To be clear, HCSF is the nonprofit foundation supporting the Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE), which operates our school system.

Back to our grant. Male Teachers of Color (MTOC) is an inaugural cohort in Hamilton County Schools with ten dedicated participants. They are both new and veteran teachers from all grade bands (elementary, middle, and high) and all five learning communities. MTOC aims to support, develop, and retain current male teachers here in Hamilton County Schools. Hamilton County Schools aims to make the teaching population as diverse as the student population it serves by attracting, cultivating, developing, and retaining a talented and diverse workforce.

So how do we retain them? Our $3,000 grant will be used to fund professional development opportunities for the MTOC participants. They will engage in a book study and assist the Talent Acquisition team in recruiting additional male teachers of color to the district by paying for recruitment materials, such as business cards, marketing videos, uniforms, etc., that participants will use during the recruitment events. The funds will also be used to fund the meals for MTOC professional development gatherings.

Research consistently underscores the significant advantages of having teachers of color in classrooms. Their presence positively influences student achievement, post-secondary aspirations, gifted program enrollment, reduced suspension rates for students of color, and overall student attitudes and motivations. This goes beyond representation; it's about delivering all students the best possible educational experience.

Camp Wakawalu | Downside Up

Congratulations to the now 2X UNF grant winner, Downside Up!

Downside Up is a nonprofit that envisions a world where all people with special needs and their loved ones have access to the environments and experiences they need to grow and thrive. They provide creative activities, fun and educational events, and family experiences for all ages and all abilities.

Our $3,000 will go to support families who have children with disabilities to experience an overnight weekend camp. But not just any camp.

Camp Wakawalu isn’t another conference or retreat. There are no sessions, no seminars, no keynote speakers. Camp Wakawalu is simply a camp, with a single purpose: to bring together children who have disabilities, and their families, for a weekend of away-ness.

Do you want to help, too? Donate, volunteer, or buy them something on their Amazon Wish List on their website. You can read about the grant they won for the 2018 Camp Wakawalu here.

Baby Care Closet | Office of Early Learning

The City of Chattanooga’s Office of Early Learning (OEL) exists to assist families, children, and childcare providers with resources to push students closer to the start line. Think about entering kindergarten prepared in the realm of language and cognition ability. OEL also provides parents with the appropriate education and experiences for families with young children that they may not have access to otherwise.

OEL firmly believes that you can not support the child without supporting the entire family. We feel ya, OEL.

With over 32% of our region's children living in poverty, its hard to ignore that our neighbors are living without basic necessities.

Our $3,000 will allow the OEL, a division under Chattanooga Department of Early Learning, to create a young children's care closet that will support families of small children. By providing items such as diapers, wipes, clothing, personal hygiene, formula, laundry detergent, and other expensive, yet mandatory items to families in need, we can alleviate some economic barriers that may allow families to engage in other brain-building experiences.

Boyd's Community Support | Loftis Middle School

Meet Emetria Boyd, School Social Worker for Loftis Middle School. She supports families by thinking outside the box, meeting them where they are, and taking action. We fueled her action to the tune of $3,000.

How? As a school social worker, she meets with Loftis Middle School students and sometimes hears they have no water or lights at home. Enter our grant funds. Emetria is on the front line and can usually get these utilities back on the same day. She also ensures the family signs up for additional services for continued support. She even sometimes guides family members to find jobs, keeps a food pantry, and also has food gift cards handy. You get the idea.

Our $3,000 went to purchase food gift cards, clothing, gas cards, and financial hardship support that may affect a child’s ability to concentrate and learn. Families benefit immediately. They have been affected by so much including Covid, the loss of jobs, the rising cost of goods, family deaths, grandparents raising grandchildren on a fixed income, and many other situations that require barriers to be removed for students to focus and learn at school.

Equity in Action Symposium | HCDE Office of Equity

Did you know Hamilton County Schools (HCS) has an Office of Equity & Advocacy? Yeah, they do. And they’re doing cool stuff. Before we get into the specifics, let’s get on the same page about what educational equity is.

Educational equity means every student receives what they need to help them reach their full potential regardless of race, language, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, or any other characteristic of their identity. 

As part of their 3-year Educational Equity Plan (EEP), the Equity in Action Symposium was created to better equip educators to be grassroots change-makers for addressing inequities throughout the district. The Equity in Action Symposium is a day of professional development for educators to better understand educational equity, how they can incorporate it in their spaces, and who they can turn to in partnership to make a difference for their schools and students. This year, sessions ranged from restorative practices to cultural competency, social-emotional and academic development, building belonging, nonviolent approaches to communication, student success strategies, facilitating courageous conversations, and drivers for economic inequality. 

We didn’t fund the entire symposium. We’re not that boss. But we did play an important role. Our $3,000 went to fund 30+ substitute teachers so that permanent teachers could attend the symposium. Budgeted for only school administrators and leadership, our funding allowed those in the classroom to attend.

Side note: we couldn’t be more proud to be featured as a sponsor on the below recap.

Back to Work | Re-Wake

With nearly one in three adults in the United States having some sort of criminal conviction, odds are you know somebody who has been convicted of a crime or suffered as a result of someone else's offense.

Re-wake is a non-profit organization that assists families that are justice-involved. What is justice-involved? The term "justice-involved" is used to describe people who have had contact with the criminal justice system, either as a victim, offender, or both. This can include people who have been arrested, charged with a crime, convicted of a crime, incarcerated, or on probation or parole. The term "justice-involved" is often used in place of terms like "criminal" or "felon" because it is seen as more respectful and less stigmatizing. It also recognizes that people who have been involved in the criminal justice system are still human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

So how do they assist these families? With mentoring, counseling, coaching, and wellness. Those who complete the program and become employed will receive a pair of work boots. With our $3,000 grant, they will be able to provide 60 pairs of steel-toe boots to those who are justice-involved entering the workforce.

ICYMI: The founder of Re-Wake is City Council Member Demetrus Coonrod. In 2008, she was a scared returning citizen.  There were no resources available to assist with re-entry into society after she left prison. She found herself alone.  Re-wake was born from her lived experience.  The organization focuses on the whole family to break mental incarceration.