Assets, Not Deficits: PGK continues to serve brilliant kids in the center city in Year 2 KCS update, Foundation structure

While there is a place for gloom philanthropy, you will not see pictures of lack as we ask for your support for the brilliant kids K-16 (elementary through postsecondary) served by Project GRAD Knoxville attending 14 public Knox County Schools. Many must daily navigate concentrated challenges in their home communities or even their household. Yet they are people who are kind, bright and capable with tremendous potential even as they need coaching and support.  Helping prepare a diverse talent pool and creative workforce is the business case for support of the GRAD program.

It is true that these scholars are diverse: 49.5% are Black/African American, 29.5% White/Caucasian, 20% Latinx, 1% are additional identities including Asian and Native/Indigenous American; 92% of the young people GRAD serves live in 5 zip codes that have some of the highest concentrations of challenges in the city. The majority are from economically disadvantaged circumstances and have less advantage.  But larger than the issue of poverty is the potential loss of brilliance, for it is also true these young people are pastors, teachers, nurses, fire fighters, police officers, doctors, techies, stylists/barbers, mechanics, civic leaders, nonprofit leaders and so much more, in the making. Let’s keep working together to let all these young people know the truth—they are assets, not deficits.

Examples

 

School Nurse (Brooke Crass, Fulton 2007, TCAT, LPN at Karns Elementary)

 

 

 

 

Attorney (Jenae Anderson- Easterly, AE 2007, GA Tech & FL A&M University College of Law, Burton McKinnish Attorneys at Law Domestic Relations)

 

 

Teacher (Lloyd Winebarger, Fulton 2013, University of Evansville, University of Indianapolis, Southport High (IN) teaching US Government)

 

 

 

Doctor of Physical Therapy (Bart Satterfield, Fulton 2011, ETSU, Univ. Of NC, currently Lives in NC, works as Orthopedic Physical therapist at Duke Univ. Health)

 

 

 

 

Pastor (Rev. Samuel Brown, AE 2005, Livingstone College, Pastor at Logan Temple AME Zion Church, President Knoxville NAACP)

 

 

Surgical Tech (Ashley Rouse, Fulton 2008, TCAT, Capital Ortho Certified Surgical Tech)

 

 

 

 

 

Elected official (Evetty Satterfield, AE 2006, Alabama A&M University, George Warren Brown of Social Work, Knox County School Board Representative District 1)

 

 

 

Fulton GRAD Team Leader (Kensey Zimmerman, Fulton 2007, UTK, Knox Ed/Project GRAD Knoxville program)

 

 

 

 

 

Advocate (Ana Guiterrez Roman, Fulton 2016, Berea College, Worker Rights Organizer TIRRC Nashville)

 

 

 

 

Firefighter (Anthony McAlister, AE 2005, Carson Newman, KFD)

 

 

 

 

Police Officer (DionDre’ Jackson, AE 2008, ETSU, KPD)  

 

 

 

 

 

GRAD Alumni Board (Carly Hammonds, Fulton 2011, Spelman, Office and Administrative Coordinator for Girl Talk Inc.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRAD Alumni Board (Jasmine Harper, AE 2013, UTK, Office Administrator for Alliance for Better Nonprofits)

 

 

 

 

College/Career Success Coach (Jasmine Siler, AE 2008, Tennessee State University, Lincoln Memorial University, Knox Ed/Project GRAD program)

 

 

 

 

The Year 2 update for the 5-Year KCS PGK FY19-FY23 Memorandum of Agreement was shared at the 1/6/21 School Board workshop.  While we are hitting the metrics and supporting forward movement, we also know all success is cumulative and there are many collaborators—KCS staff and admin, students themselves, families, youth serving partners, sponsors and donors, higher ed, government, media, faith community, industry, GRAD alumni, and community citizens at the grassroots level.

In 2021, we celebrate the 20^th year since GRAD began in 2001. We are looking forward to the future as part of the Knox Education Foundation nonprofit. Knox Ed is working to anchor, strengthen and expand support for public education and advocates for the attainment of higher student outcomes for all students in Knox County public schools—a district that is among the 100 largest metro school districts in the country with 90 schools and 60,000 students.

There IS a future beyond the current conditions of our world and together, we can help our kids, schools and communities be ready for it.  We still see a world of hope.