The ESM Seminar, led by associate professor Jennifer Ann Morrow, hosted a Grant Writing Tips workshop on April 4^th, 2016 that drew in more than twenty-five students and faculty members from six different departments at UT Knoxville and the UT Institute of Agriculture.

The Grant Writing Tips were presented by research assistant professor, Harold A. Richards, who works in the College of Engineering as a grants program coordinator. Morrow said, “We knew that Richards would provide excellent resources and his extensive experience in this area is why the students requested this workshop from him.”

“I had a great time interacting with the students and faculty, and I applaud Morrow for supporting her students’ curiosity. A successful research endeavor requires being familiar with how to fund the work and graduate school is an ideal time to begin learning about the process.” – Richards

On a usual night, the ESM Seminar consists of six students and three faculty members. But, they decided to open this specific class meeting to the department and beyond. Morrow explained, “We wanted to open it up to all of EPC, because there are many students and new faculty that have minimal experience with grant writing and we thought this would be beneficial to them.”

The workshop was highly attended and well received. Richards gave a power-point presentation styled as a Q&A. Richards said, “I was happy to share my own experiences and excited by the numerous and thoughtful questions.  It is my hope that the seminar provided context and scope so that students can expand their knowledge and awareness in ways that fit their own interests and needs.”

“I was impressed by the turnout and the questions asked by the audience were relevant and showed to me that this is an area that we really need additional education for our students.”

You can see more photos from the event in our Class Happenings 2016 photo album on the EPC Facebook page.

The Community Full-Service Schools Program (now called University-Assisted Community Schools), directed by Bob Kronick, was chosen as one of fifty exemplary partnerships by the Carnegie Advisory Committee.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the UT Institute of Agriculture recently submitted a joint application for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. As part of that process, nominations were collected from every college and fifty exemplary partnerships were chosen to be promoted during the 2015 calendar year. The Community Full-Service Schools Program was not only selected at one of the fifty to be promoted, but also as one of only fifteen partnerships highlighted in the 2015 Carnegie Community Engagement Application.

The Office of Engagement and Outreach has already begun promoting this praiseworthy partnership effort, with a story focused on Kronick’s experiences with civic engagement through the community schools.

Fact-Sheet information provided for additional promotions include:

The Mission: The Community Full-Service Schools program addresses the unmet basic needs of Knoxville area children and their families that are not met by public schools and human service agencies. The program’s mission is to empower community participants to access support systems independently and learn to help themselves. The project seeks to improve educational outcomes and reduce the number of high school dropouts. The program has been in place at Pond Gap School since 2009.

The Partners: Community partners for this project include faculty members at Pond Gap Elementary, Knox County Schools, Boys and Girls Club, Pellisssippi State Community College, Knoxville Opera Company, and South College. University of Tennessee partners include the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, Education, Health and Human Sciences, along with the departments of Sociology, Wildlife and Forestry, Counseling and Sport Psychology, and the Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy.

Impact on UT: Institution impact includes service-learning opportunities for students in a variety of academic disciplines, and career development opportunities for UT students. Students serve in these schools as mentors, teachers and friends with faculty supervision, and participate in a learning environment promoting engaged educational reform. Six faculty members from College of Education, Health and Human Services work with 14 faculty members from Pond Gap Elementary School. During the regular academic year, close to 125 UT and Pellissippi students with the community schools and close to 55 students volunteer for summer activities.

Impact on Community: Community Impact includes the provision of health services to students and their families, mental health screenings, academic support for students and their families, as well as financial support for the families. At-risk urban students are enabled to create long-term, mentoring relationships with UT students and faculty based on the three tenants of prevention, collaboration, and systems-level thinking.