In February 2024, YEF funded twenty projects totaling over $57,000.
Projects and programs must be located in Maury County, Tennessee.
Here are descriptions of the project/program winners, as written by the applicants upon applying.
Title of Project or Program: Student Ambassadors: Positive Character Traits Initiative
Andrea Irwin
School Counselor
Spring Hill Elementary School
Spring Hill, TN
Brief Project Summary: The positive character initiative adopted by our Spring Hill Elementary Student Ambassadors is a dedication to school-wide kindness, acceptance, and respect for self and others by implementing bulletin board displays, intercom announcements, community service projects, and supportive representation in the building. The Student Ambassadors are 4th graders who have exhibited these qualities and are selected to further model and lead other students in helping to create a wonderful and healthy school culture.
Title of Project or Program: Whitthorne Junior Hospital
Joe Cornelius, William Robertson
8th Grade Science Teachers
Whitthorne Middle School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: The 8th grade students at Whitthorne Middle School will simulate a real emergency room hospital utilizing fetal pigs as patients. Students will be divided into 4-person surgical teams. Each team will be assigned to perform a different procedure to save their "porky patient's" life. Real life volunteer nurses, doctors, and EMTs will help the students make the proper incisions and to remove the proper organs. This project will occur after TCAP time to prepare students for high school biology and to fulfill the academic standard: to address similarities and differences in anatomical structures 8. LS4.2
Title of Project or Program: ACT Prep Pays
Andrea' Birdsong
teacher
Columbia Central High School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: This program will publicize and celebrate those who perform at the highest levels on the ACT, thereby encouraging other students that success is not only possible, but there are also resources available to help them meet their ACT goals.
Title of Project or Program: Hydroponics Operations
Hannah Collins
Teacher
Mt. Pleasant High School
Mt. Pleasant, TN
Brief Project Summary: The goal of our project is to grow vegetables that will be donated to the local community center. This helps teach our students about innovative growing practices while supporting those in our community.
Title of Project or Program: Science Club
Stephen Dotson
Chemistry Teacher
Spring Hill High School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: Science club is a program that allows students to see all kinds of experiments and explore how science is used in real world settings. This after school club has provided several students with the opportunity to learn topics they wouldn't likely have a chance to observe otherwise.
Title of Project or Program: Baker Student Advisory Council
Rachael Fernandez
School Counselor
JR Baker Elementary School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: The Baker Student Advisory Council consists of 9 positive role models in grades 2-4 who are building their leadership skills. The council members are representatives of Baker Elementary School and assist in completing various service projects at school and in the community.
Title of Project or Program: Preserving CHS Memories
John Orman
Audio Visual Teacher
Columbia Central High School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: With this professional, industry-standard equipment, the A/V program will be able to make live broadcasts both at school and in the field. We will focus on making quality recordings of school events, including sports broadcasts, theatrical productions and guest speakers, preserving CHS history in perpetuity.
Title of Project or Program: School Wide Makerspace Carts
Dr. Michael Ford
Principal
Randolph Howell Elementary STEM School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: We are a STEM school and classrooms would like to be able to incoporate different makerspace areas for students to explore learning through hands on activities that support standards and stimulate critical thinking. We would like to implement mobile makerspace carts for teachers to be able to check out for student use. We can approach the carts several different ways, but overall they will include things like Legos, cardboard, connectors, tape, pipe cleaners, some technology tools we already have in place, etc. Teachers will be able to check these carts out for use just like you check out a library book then return them. We don't have space in the classrooms to implement makerspace the way we want so this is a solution our team developed. The carts are expensive but the materials are built in to our budget.
Title of Project or Program: Flex Farm
Paula Schneeberger
STEM Teacher
Battle Creek Elementary School
Spring Hill, TN
Brief Project Summary: To provide students with an alternative method of growing food that they can eat in their lunch salads, teacher salads or donate to local organizations. Each grade level will have specific assignments such as measuring growth, monitoring PH levels, and data collection and input. Students will work in groups to foster communication skills and also work with different grade levels for peer interactions.
Title of Project or Program: Junior Engineers - Additive and Subtractive Manufacturing
Joseph Clark
2nd Grade Teacher
Joseph Brown Elementary School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: These funds will be used to purchase machinery to allow the Young Engineers club to experience both additive and subtractive manufacturing - namely, a 3D Printer and a Laser Cutter. These machines will be used primarily by students attending the club to perform rapid prototyping as they work through the engineering design process.
Title of Project or Program: Library Robotics
Sara Harwell
Librarian
Battle Creek Elementary School
Spring Hill, TN
Brief Project Summary: The YEF funding for our project, "Library Robotics," will be used to purchase each 4th grade student a DIY STEM kit containing 6 different robotic build projects: Reptile Robot, BuzzWire Game, Bubble Machine, Doodling Robot, Fiber Optic Lamp, and a Balance Robot. Each student will construct 1 robot a week, during the 6-week period in library exploratory class, taking them home to show and share with families.
Title of Project or Program: Kindness Cubs
Jane Woody
Technology Teacher
Battle Creek Elementary School
Spring Hill, TN
Brief Project Summary: BCES Kindness Cubs are a group of students spreading sunshine through our school building. The students enthusiastically greet families upon arrival on Friday mornings and practice secret acts of kindness during the week.
Title of Project or Program: Counseling Program
Linnette Anderson
Counselor
Battle Creek Elementary School
Spring Hill, TN
Brief Project Summary: Upon the opening of Battle Creek Elementary School in 2019 our student population has grown significantly. Our current student population is 640 as of this year with one counselor (myself) servicing all students throughout the building. The vision of Battle Creek Elementary's counseling program is to build collaborative partnerships; implement mental health related promotion, awareness, prevention, intervention, and resilience; ensure students have access to appropriate and effective behavioral health services. Implementing comprehensive, evidence-based strategies that meet student social, emotional, and mental well-being needs; create positive, inclusive, and supportive school environments; and increase access to place-based interventions and services; Engaging students, families, educators, staff, and community organizations in the selection and implementation of strategies and interventions to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments; Designing and implementing policies and practices that are responsive to students, protect student rights, and demonstrate respect for student dignity and potential.
Title of Project or Program: Counseling Office
Katie Albright
School Counselor
Whitthorne Middle School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: I would like a Cricut and coordinating supplies to make our own environment visuals. We have a lot of great things happening at Whitthorne and the Counseling Department is involved in all ways possible. By having our own way to make visuals, we will be able to tailor that to our school colors, mascot and school vision to create community and a sense of belonging across all grades. We would also like a new table for the center of our office and chairs to go around the table. Great conversations are happening in our office and we want this table to create a place for students to feel comfortable to come together and discuss ideas, plan events and work together for conflict resolution and self reflection. Funding would also provide us the ability to buy colored paper for self help material that we have available on our Counselor's Board and inside our office for students. I would also like to purchase a large area rug. Some students like to sit on a carpet and read, journal, and talk to each other and I would like them to have the opportunity to do so. I would also love to have a large community coloring page, so each person that comes into our office has the opportunity to make their mark and be a part of our school. Creating a cohesive community is vital to our counseling success.
Title of Project or Program: Snack Stash
Laura Purtle
Teacher
Spring Hill High School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: Each year we serve 40-60 students with Jet Packs, hygiene items, snacks, clothes, shoes, laundry detergent, and other items needed for our underserved population. Lately, we have also had new clubs that meet after school that need funding to help provide bottled water, fruit, and snacks for their students that stay after school.
Title of Project: Family Resource Center
L'Tanya Stancil
Family Resource Director
Columbia Central High School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: The FRC program is a program that tries to support all of the student needs, as well as, supporting the community needs as well.
Title of Project: Best Buddies Field Day
Rachel Lombardo
Special Education Teacher/Best Buddies Sponsor
Columbia Central High School
Columbia, TN
Brief Project Summary: Best Buddies is an organization at CHS that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our field day will bring together county-wide Best Buddies programs for a fun-filled day at CHS!
Title of Project or Program: Look Good, Feel Good
Alicia Ross
7th Grade ELA Teacher/8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Santa Fe Unit School
Santa Fe, TN
Brief Project Summary: I would like to make hygiene bags with travel size deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste for students who may not have regular access to these items but want to use them. I would also like to make snack bags with small healthy snacks and small gatorades to go home with students who may not have snacks over the weekend. And finally, I would like to get stress balls, alternative seating, and other stress relieving items for students with test anxiety. The alternative seating would be for those with ADD and ADHD who have trouble focusing in class. It would be used as a reward as long as the student can remain focused throughout the class or test.
YEF accepts funding requests year-round, and awards funding twice a year. To be considered in the round of applications for fall funding 2024, submit your application online by clicking the button below.
In September 2022, YEF awarded nearly $15,000 to eleven projects in seven schools across Maury County!! Teachers, counselors, and other educators submitted mini-grant applications for innovative programs and YEF was proud to sponsor them. Here are the ten winners:
JR Baker Elementary School – “Baker Recording Beats”
3rd and 4th graders will create and record their own musical masterpieces using MIDI keyboards, recording microphones, and software like SoundTrap and BandLab. Students will collaborate, utilize skills learned in class (tempo, rhythm, meter, form), and comprehend how all music elements work together. This project will culminate in an end-of-the year community presentation for students to talk about the meanings and impacts of the pieces on their lives.
Joseph Brown Elementary School – “Physical Programming Project”
200 students in grades 2-4 will use programmable computing devices to easily take new steps into writing code that interacts with the physical world. Funds will be used to purchase a set of microcontrollers and additional module kits for students to work one-on-one with the STEAM teacher as well as in extended group projects. Students can gather data from the environment such as temperature, humidity, motion, or sound, and then use that data to program a response from the unit.
Randolph Howell Elementary School – “Helpful Hearts Program”
This pilot program will select at least ten student applicants from grades 3-4 and teach these participants leadership, compassion, citizenship, and social emotional skills. Students will attend monthly meetings to discuss concerns, entrepreneurial dreams, ways to overcome low self-esteem, fun brainstorm activities, and respect for each other. The goal is to start a program with district-wide potential to help children grow into strong communicators, servants, and leaders in the community.
Spring Hill Middle School – “STEAM tools and robotics”
165 students in 8th grade will benefit from working with a set of coding robots and 3D pens with filament. Materials for this STEAM-oriented classroom will help students learn through exploration and critical thinking and can be used in many different lessons.
Whitthorne Middle School – “Middle School Counseling Meeting Room”
The 945-student body in grades 5-8 could benefit from the creation of a comfortable space where counselor- and student-led groups can meet and individual students can feel welcome to discuss their needs and feelings. Funds will purchase furniture, lighting, wall posters, curriculum, books, and sensory items to help equip students with social and life skills that they can carry with them for years to come.
Whitthorne Middle School – “Energy Expo”
6th grade students ages 9-11 would like to conduct a one-time Energy Expo to extend their learning and understanding of all the forms of energy required by educational standards. The expo will be on display in the main hall to benefit the whole student body. Each team will create a science fair board with claim, evidence, and reasoning and a working model or display of the following energy forms: Solar, Mechanical, Wind, Chemical, Nuclear, Kinetic, and Electrical. Medals will be awarded to top presenters.
Spring Hill High School – “Battle Bots in the Classroom”
35-45 robotics class students in grades 10-12 will use the engineering Design Process to design, build, and test Combat Robots. Once students have functioning robots, they will be competing with classmates and students at other schools to see how their designs hold up in combat. Funds will help cover the initial cost to build a safety arena, then to replenish components such as motors, wire, batteries, and other things as they wear out.
Columbia Central High School – “Battle Bots”
25-40 students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled as Skills USA members will directly benefit from the formation of this new 3D printable Battle Bots team. Students will think critically, work with their hands, collaborate, and demonstrate competencies by using the engineering Design process to evaluate and improve robot building. This grant will help students investigate whether Robotics and Automation would be a beneficial pathway as a career.
Columbia Central High School – “Doggie Daycare”
60 students in grades 10-12 will offer dog grooming services for high school faculty and staff. They will learn basic training techniques, washing strategies, and oral and nail care. Through this experience, students will discover how to work together in groups of three to four, be responsible for a particular task, record their actions, communicate with the dog owners, and use their time wisely. The most deserving students will get to move on from basic care to trimming hair on the dogs.
Columbia Central High School – “Envirothon Academic Team”
55 students in grades 9-12 will be able to continue to compete for their school’s envirothon academic team, “an environmental competition that encourages stewardship of natural resources through group interaction and brings students into the outdoor classroom” (TEEA, http://eeintennessee.org/resource/about). Funds will be used to purchase soil lab equipment, animal pelts, scat molds, and track molds to prepare students for regional and state competitions.
Word of Life Inner-City Youth Ministry – “Project Van Outreach”
This nonprofit’s mobile outreach visits youth in different neighborhoods to provide gospel rap, a message of hope, education materials, canned food, and clothes. It also provides a safe place and programming for approximately 50 local youth from PreK through college in Maury County every Sunday where they receive food, clothing, tutoring, and resources for parents. At risk of dropping out of school, these youth receive counseling on how to obtain an education and a job through the Word of God, school, college, and the military.
In January 2023, YEF awarded $13,500 in mini-grants to eleven projects in seven schools across Maury County, TN.
In January 2022, the Youth Educational Foundation awarded $16,750 to 14 school-based projects in Maury County, TN:
Battle Creek Middle School – “Battle Creek Creations”
One-hundred and forty-two 8th grade students will develop valuable trade skills by planning, coordinating, designing, and printing their own sublimation t-shirts. In the process, they will study everything from budgeting and supply lists to graphic design and print technology.
Brown Elementary School – “Social Emotional Exploration in Kindergarten”
A Kindergarten classroom will hold after-school sessions using sensory light and tactile stations designed to ease student anxiety and increase student engagement. Non-consumable stations could be used in multiple classrooms for many years.
Mt. Pleasant Elementary School – “PreK-4th Grade 3D Print Designers”
All 500 students in the school will be able to access Toybox 3D printers for projects. Students can draw what they are studying and see their ideas come to life in 3D while starting to think about themselves as designers and sculptors.
Mt. Pleasant Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts – “Bees at the Mount”
In conjunction with Farris Honey Farm, students will establish a bee yard with two initial beehives that they create from the ground up. Students will seek to become certified by the TN Department of Agriculture. This project will impact all 450 students at MPMSVPA as well as the 400 students at MPMSVPA and 500+ students at MPES through visiting the hives, learning about bee colonies, tasting honey created on the property, watching videos of the bees and harvesting process posted online by MPMSVPA students, and talking with guest experts.
Mt. Pleasant Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts – “DiVicni Club”
Open to all 450 students, this 25-member book club promotes love of reading and artistic expression through student-selected projects such as writing, music, visual arts, and group discussion. Students use various supplies to express their creativity pertaining to their book subject, author, or genre.
Mt. Pleasant High School – “Farm to Table Greenhouse Renovation at the Mount”
Students will refurbish a 30-year-old greenhouse to be used as a classroom for 150 students in the high school’s Agriculture, Plant Science, greenhouse management, construction, and FFA programs. This project will also positively impact elementary and middle school students who will be invited to visit. Students will learn aquaculture by growing catfish and tilapia and may partner with Mt. Pleasant Grille to use vegetables they grow.
Spring Hill Middle School – “Green Team”
Founded four years ago, students in this club meet to promote recycling, collect recyclables, and sort materials. They will use more bins to sort items as school’s recycling demands have grown.
Spring Hill Middle School – “Simple Machines with Legos”
Students will construct simple machines with Legos to demonstrate their understanding of standard 5.PS.2 – Motion and Stability: Forces & Interactions – a standard that historically has a low score on TNReady assessment. Students will perform hands-on activities both alone and in groups to enhance instructional materials and promote the STEAM concept.
Spring Hill High School – “Large Animal Science and Veterinary Science”
This project will expand the basic FFA class to work with large animals. Students will care for young animals like goats and develop feeding and training protocols, as well as learn animal health standards. In the fall, students will work with swine. In the spring, students will prepare the young stock for a small school livestock show.
Spring Hill High School – “Make Our Own Filament: Filastruder”
Robotics students will learn how an automated system works and be able to produce high quality filament that can be used in their 3D printers. Students will set up and fine tune the manufacturing process, which will accurately simulate a scenario that they could expect to encounter in industry. The project will reach about 100 students this year and more in future.
Spring Hill High School – “Raider Leaders”
Students in 11th and 12th grades are nominated by teachers to become “Link Leaders.” They complete leadership training and host a 9th grade orientation day in the summer. Student raider leaders are assigned a group of 9th grade students to mentor, meeting one-on-one during homeroom classes and staying in contact through lunch meetings, texting, and social media.
Spring Hill High School – “Science Club”
Open to all students, this student-driven club will use additional materials for larger scale projects like using hydroponics to see if they can grow food to donate to the Well, which provides food for the Spring Hill community. Students also plan to explore clean energy and learn about how electricity is generated.
Spring Hill High School – “Shock and Awe” Electric Vehicle Team
Thirteen students are developing their first working prototype from donated Razor scooters as a proof of concept. Upon completion and testing of the prototype and competition vehicle the EV Team intends to register for the F24 EV race and possibly the Electrathon racing series. Both races involve an interactive interview about the design and build of the EV as well as passing safety and race inspections. Students hope to hand down one of the cars or prototypes to middle school teams in an effort to grow interest in the high school’s Engineering program.
Woodard Elementary School – “Crayons for a Cause”
Students help to soak, peel paper, sort, place crayons in molds, melt, and package the new design. These crayons are made as a reward for students and teachers at the school. In March 2020 when tornados struck in TN, students had a fundraiser selling the recycled crayons at the Maury County STEM Expo and donated the money to affected schools. Teachers will purchase another microwave, more silicone molds, and gift bags to continue this project with students.
In September 2021, the Youth Education Foundation awarded funding to the following 4 programs in Maury County:
Battle Creek Elementary School – “Student Ambassador Program”
Now in its third year, this program consists of 10-12 students in the 4th grade who exhibit leadership and role model attributes. Student ambassadors serve and lead the 600-person student body in meaningful projects for the school and community such as food and toy drives, Sunshine bags for the homeless, teacher breakfast and appreciation gifts, new student services, book fair assistance, career day, campus cleanup, and student buddies’ initiative.
Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Tennessee – “Academic Case Management Program”
This program offers weekly one-on-one tutoring by certified teachers for 150-175 club members from 6th-12th grades. In addition to tutoring, the program offers skills drilling in innovative software programs, access to academic data in the Maury County Public School (MCPS) portal, and a comprehensive communication plan that gets everyone on the same page to help each club member succeed academically.
Columbia State Community College – “Youth Education Foundation TN Promise Scholarship”
YEF annually funds this scholarship, which since its founding has assisted 358 Columbia State students with the cost of books and fees which are not covered by the state’s TN Promise. With the scholarship, YEF seeks to reinforce the goals of TN Promise and remove barriers that may prohibit students from seeking post-secondary education.
Word of Life Ministry – “Breaking the Cycle of Drugs, Gangs, Violence, and Poverty”
YEF has long supported this program which currently provides 50-75 local youth from PreK through college with food, clothing, tutoring, counseling, educational trips, sports, and other recreational activities. At risk of dropping out of school, these youth receive counseling on how to obtain an education and a job through the Word of God, school, college, and the military.
Congratulations to our January 2022 mini-grant winners!
Battle Creek Middle School – “Battle Creek Creations”
Brown Elementary School – “Social Emotional Exploration in Kindergarten”
Mt. Pleasant Elementary School – “PreK-4th Grade 3D Print Designers”
Mt. Pleasant Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts – “Bees at the Mount”
Mt. Pleasant Middle School of the Visual and Performing Arts – “DiVicni Club”
Mt. Pleasant High School – “Farm to Table Greenhouse Renovation at the Mount”
Spring Hill Middle School – “Green Team”
Spring Hill Middle School – “Simple Machines with Legos”
Spring Hill High School – “Large Animal Science and Veterinary Science”
Spring Hill High School – “Make Our Own Filament: Filastruder”
Spring Hill High School – “Raider Leaders”
Spring Hill High School – “Science Club”
Spring Hill High School – “Shock and Awe” Electric Vehicle Team
Woodard Elementary School – “Crayons For a Cause”
Other Programs Funded by YEF
Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $240,000 in funding to local school-centric organizations, programs, projects, and clubs in Maury County, TN, including the following:
Book scholarship for every TN Promise Student enrolled at Columbia State.
Scholarships for graduates at Northfield Academy.
Scholarships for a STEM Camp at Baker School.
Scholarships for GED students administered by South Central TN Workforce Alliance.
Grants to the Spring Hill Raider Leaders.
Grants to the Young Life Program.
Funding to the Word of Life Ministry that serves inner-city youth with tutoring.
Funding to the Columbia Central High School Link Crew.
Funding for a Fall Education Symposium for Maury County Public School educators.
English Language classes.
Mechatronics engineering camp.