130 Art Kits for Kids | Mary Stargel and C-Grimey

Before COVID, 20-30 kids met every Wednesday at the Westside YFD Center for an Arts and Culture workshop led by C-Grimey. Students explored and expressed themselves through the medium of art and walked through this weekly journey with excitement and purpose. In an attempt to reconnect and inspire kids in the Westside neighborhood (and a few others), C-Grimey and Mary Stargel requested $3,000 to create 130 art kits that include things like a waterproof watercolor paint set, crayons, paper, and scissors all in a drawstring backpack.

Having these art kits will allow students to continue exploring what mediums they are interested in and expressing themselves through art. In late 2020, a small amount of funds were raised to hand out 30 art kits for the holidays. It was a great way to learn what was needed and how much it cost per kit. Now, with needs assessed and costs in line, our $3,000 will distribute 130 art kits to students at the Westside, Alton Park, and Wheeler House in the spring.

Cafe Donaldson | Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy

Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy (CDESA) has a new principal, Rose Odom. She has an idea to end food fights, intentional spilling, eating with hands (when a utensil would be appropriate), talking over each other, inappropriate line behavior, and inappropriate table manners in the cafeteria. Cafe Donaldson will create a restaurant dining atmosphere with our $1,500 grant for tabes and chairs, that the students have a chance to earn the opportunity to eat in. This will be special for them, they will have music and sometimes special guests.

Students are so eager to please when they are given a clear set of guidelines and expectations. Instead of shaming them and always using discipline, Rose wants to create something that they can work towards with clear expectations, so that they are learning and having positive behavior change at the same time. Why this? It may be a hard stretch of the imagination if you were raised in a household where table manners were taught, food was plenty, and your family sat down together to share meals. For many of these students, they do not share this same upbringing, for what ever reason, maybe their parents are working during the evening hours and they are being watched by an older sibling, or maybe food is scarce at their house and they learn to hide and stash food for themselves. This idea can help. We can help.

Calvin Donaldson Library Extreme Makeover

Selena Seymour is the librarian at Calvin Donaldson Elementary School. She has a vision to turn the urban elementary school library, in the heart of Alton Park, into a thriving beehive of excitement and innovation. Enter The UNFoundation. With a donation from Smart Furniture Studio and the rest coming from budget-friendly IKEA, the new, fun and collaborative furniture will make kids come alive in the library.  When their families come in for an open house, literacy and math nights, or just to visit - they will also feel comfortable and welcome in a space where everyone is equally brilliant together! During faculty meetings and planning sessions, the teachers will most certainly be more creative and happier if they are comfortable. 

Chattanooga struggles to make education and access to resources equitable across our great city. You've all heard Chattanooga 2.0, Unifi-ED and PEF Chattanooga talking about these issues. This is one step toward equity. The Alton Park community deserves a fun, creative space to meet, work, learn, and (of course) read!