Nashville Mayor Karl Dean presented MTSU with an Honorable
Mention for the Mayor's Award for Outstanding System-Wide Partner as part of
the 31st annual PENCIL Foundation's BRAVO! Awards.
Of the 820 PENCIL Partner volunteer groups, the Mayor's
Award for System-Wide partners was given to only two organizations — MTSU and
the Charles Davis Foundation.
The PENCIL Foundation connects businesses and volunteers
with students in Metro Nashville public schools and the yearly ceremony
recognizes individuals and organizations that donate volunteer hours to the
school system.
Doug Williams, executive director of marketing and communications
for the university, attended the May 23 ceremony at Lipscomb University and
accepted the award on behalf of MTSU.
The significance of this honor inevitably encompasses the
hundreds of volunteer hours donated by MTSU students, faculty and staff during
the 2012-2013 academic year.
MTSU's Marketing and Communications Department developed the
“Nashville Initiative” — a yearlong effort to engage the Nashville community
with the university. Through this initiative MTSU was the lead sponsor of the
Academies of Nashville Video Awards Show, the Nashville Career Fair and a
year-long partnership with W. H. Oliver Middle School to provide students
with unique learning experiences and hands-on resources.
Organized events included lectures for students and
teachers. Visiting MTSU professors presented research that was tailored for a
younger audience and included topics such as Egyptian archeology, World War I
and how to become an author.
Additional opportunities were provided to the school through
a partnership between MTSU and The Tennessean. Members of The
Tennessean staff facilitated workshops on ways that teachers could
incorporate the newspaper into lesson plans. Students were also able to take
field trips to tour the university and The Tennessean facilities.
These volunteer efforts inspired Adam Wicker, dean of
instruction at Oliver Middle School, to nominate MTSU for the PENCIL
Foundation's Award for Outstanding School Partner. Wicker said the effects of
this year's events will reach beyond the 2012-2013 term.
“It is my belief that these experiences have helped light
the spark for higher education in the hearts of our students,” he said. “MTSU
and its faculty members truly are outstanding partners.”
Other organizations recognized at the BRAVO! Awards
included: Adventure Science Center, C3 Consulting LLC, Nissan Motor Co.
(Nashville Corporate), Asurion and Ray of Hope Community Church.
The PENCIL Foundation administers educational programs that
involve the community as volunteers and mentors, offer academic enrichment
opportunities, prepare students for graduation and provide school supplies to
children.
For more information on the foundation, programs and
volunteer opportunities visit: http://www.pencilfoundation.org/
or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pencilfd.
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