Grants / Funding - 2007
July 30th, 2008U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grant Program
Grant Name: North Nashville Education and Housing Collaboration
Amount: $584,119
GRANT # HBCU HBCU-07-TN-047
Grant Time Period: February 8, 2008-2011
TSU 2007 HUD grant will build on the work of the past to continue to work with North Nashville nonprofits, Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, Grace Eaton Childcare, and Preston Taylor Ministries to improve the services offered to the North Nashville community. However, in this grant, TSU has added some new partners, McKissack School and Affordable Housing Resources to open a reading clinic for struggling readers and support an housing rehabilitation initiative for the elderly in North Nashville. Read more about the specific tasks of the grant below.
Task I (A)-renovate physical facilities of two community based organizations
HUD funds will allow TSU conduct phase II renovations at Grace M. Eaton Childcare by replacing windows and doors-making the facility safer and more energy efficient. In addition, HUD funds allow TSU to provide new signage and an awning to the Shopping Bag Resale Shop of the Bethlehem Centers of Nashville. Both organizations serve low income residents in North Nashville. To learn about Bethlehem Centers of Nashville and its resale shop, see http://www.bethlehemcenters.org/ To find out more about Grace Eaton Childcare, see http://www.gracemeaton.org/
Task I (B)- Improve the housing stock for low and moderate income residents by rehabilitating owner occupied homes in the target area through the North Nashville Neighborhood Rehab Partnership (NRP)
Affordable Housing Resources is a well known affordable housing provide in Nashville. In 2007 they developed a program entitled the Neighborhood Rehab Partnership and raised funds to renovate homes for the elderly or in special need in North Nashville. TSU decided to partner with this effort and with HUD funding will be able to support rehabilitation projects to three additional homes in North Nashville. One home has been selected for renovation in each neighborhood surrounding TSU’s main campus. TSU worked with Affordable Housing Resources and the three neighborhoods associations that boarder the TSU main campus (Hadley Park, Neighbors Reaching Out, and North Nashville Organization for Community Improvement) to help determine the three homes selected. The owners are elderly, of low or moderate income, and need repairs to improve the safety and efficiency of their homes. Work began in early 2009 and will be completed by Spring 2009. In addition, to paid labor, TSU students, staff, and faculty will assist in the rehabilitation efforts. Ben Deacon at Affordable Housing Resources is overseeing the work. See http://www.ahrhousing.org/ for more information.
Task 2 (A)-Improving access to technology to area youth through the creation of computer lab at McKissack School.
HUD is funding the development of a computer lab at McKissack School and TSU students and staff will teach students computer skills.
Task 2 (B)-Improving educational access for area youth through the creation of reading clinic at McKissack School and tutoring/mentoring programs at partner CBOs
McKissack Reading Clinic
TSU opened a Reading Clinic at McKissack School in the Fall of 2007. McKissack serves grades K-8th and is comprised of a student body that is 92% African-American and 100% economically disadvantaged, and many are struggling readers. Professor Tammy Lipsey, in TSU’s College of Education, was the force behind creating the clinic and oversees the day-to-day operations there. In addition, Professor Lipsey selected all the materials and curriculum that the TSU students utilized to work with struggling readers. Grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Tennessee Board of Regents’ have purchased supplies and educational materials for the clinic.
To date, almost 100 struggling readers have been served in the clinic and it is already yielding results. In 2008, McKissack met No Child Left Behind academic performance requirements, with the percent of students who are proficient in reading increasing to 87%, compared to 81% in 2007. The percentage of students who are not proficient in reading decreased from 19% in 2007 to 13% in 2008. McKissack Principal, Sharon Braden, credits the reading clinic with the advances in reading.
In November 2008, McKissack School and TSU hosted an open house of the McKissack Reading Clinic. TSU students who have served as reading tutors in the clinic discussed their experience as representatives from TSU; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; the Tennessee Board of Regents; and Metro Nashville Public Schools listened to their powerful message of making a difference.
TSU Students describe their experience
Representatives from TSU, HUD, TN Board of Regents, and Metro Nashville Schools listen to TSU 
students describe serving K-8 students in the clinic.
To go to McKissack School’s website see, http://www.mckissack.mnps.org
Preston Taylor Ministries
For the 2007-08 school year, TSU students served as reading tutors to participants of the afterschool program at Preston Taylor Ministries. In the fall of 2008, 23 TSU occupational therapy students served as homework helpers for kids at Preston Taylor Ministries. Spring 2009, graduate students in psychology will provide kids at Preston Taylor Ministries help in career planning and they will be evaluating Preston Taylor’s Lunch Mate program.
HUD grant funds support the purchase of educational materials to support Preston Taylor’s afterschool program. To read more about Preston Taylor Ministries, see http://www.ptmweb.ik.org/
Bethlehem Centers of Nashville
During the 2007-08 school year, TSU students served as reading tutors to middle school students in the afterschool program operated by Bethlehem Centers of Nashville. Participants indicated that they like reading and were more comfortable reading after the year-long partnership. The TSU and Bethlehem Students ended the year by making gift bags to patients in Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital. (see picture)
In October 2008, TSU students who are a member of B.L.A.C.K. Inc. volunteered their time to assist Bethlehem Center with their October 2008 community event. (see picture)
To go to Bethlehem Centers of Nashville’s website, see http://www.bethlehemcenters.org/
To read about HUD’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities grant program go to,
http://www.oup.org/programs/aboutHBCU.asp
For more information about TSU’s 2007 HUD grant contact, Ginger Hausser Pepper at 615-963-1246 or ghausser@tnstate.edu
