NASHVILLE, TN — The Legacy Education Foundation (TLEF) secured a $50,000 grant from Meharry Medical College to support the Foundation’s youth mentoring programming in Middle Tennessee for the 2021 calendar year. The programs will have a focus on healthy lifestyle choices within the African-American community.
TLEF Board Chair Dennie Marshall is excited to have the financial support that a grant of this magnitude provides. “With Meharry’s generous monetary support we look forward to greater outreach with our mentoring programs.” Marshall continued, “It will allow us to continue our long-standing work with young people and collaborate with other civic groups.”
The grant will allow TLEF to deliver programming with an emphasis on childhood obesity and anti-vaping activity. There will also be a focus on preparing students to attend college. TLEF embraces the data that stresses high school completion and higher education attendance correlates with healthy life choices.
Featured programming includes Go to High School, Go to College – Established by TLEF to concentrate on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement, this program provides youth participants with excellent role models that provide mentorship to students ages 10 – 18 years old. The program will be held all year, virtually through the summer and in person during the fall depending on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Middle Tennessee Podcast Challenge – The grant will support the launch of the “Middle Tennessee Student Podcast Challenge”. This challenge will allow middle school and high school students to share their voices in ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle, with an emphasis on anti-vaping/anti-smoking themes. The program will have a focus on the students’ message about health and is targeted for Fall 2021, at the beginning of the new academic school year.
African-Americans and Healthcare Oratorical Contest – The funding will allow TLEF to create a virtual oratorical contest. The contest will allow for area high school students and college students to submit “virtual speeches” regarding issues impacting the health of African-Americans. The selected entries and winners will be submitted to area news media and social media outlets to be published to further promote academic success and the correlation of healthy lifestyle choices. The contest will be scheduled for the fall semester.
HBCU Palooza – The Foundation will coordinate virtual workshops for college students at Historical Black College and Universities (HBCU) on the impact of vaping and smokeless tobacco. In addition, the TLEF will provide HBCU tours for area high school students to expose students to the historical significance of HBCUs and the numerous academic opportunities they can pursue at HBCUs in the field of Health Sciences. This aspect of the program will target HBCU’s in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, pending the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two organizations that will help provide support to TLEF are the Tau Lambda graduate chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the Nashville Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. “We are excited to partner with members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council in communicating the benefits & values of a healthy lifestyle and education” said Marshall.
Donna Woodley, art professor, visual artist, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is enthusiastic about the Podcast Challenge. “Young people want and need to be heard and need a sound platform to do so. Podcasting is a fast-developing communication medium, and Nashville has a thriving podcast community who is willing to help us,” explained Woodley. “The Teen Podcast Challenge will provide an opportunity to educate students about podcasting, which includes equipment operation, program content, and recording and editing.”
To learn more about TLEF and its upcoming programs please visit www.thelegacyeducationfoundation.com. Questions can be submitted to tlef1906@gmail.com.
