Triple Impact Youth Empowerment Collaborative (TIYEC)

Grantee Information

Tennessee State University
3500 John A. Merrit Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 963-5820 (Phone)
(615) 963-7412 (Fax)

Tennessee State University is a four-year, comprehensive, land-grant, historically black university that is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Grant Project Information

Triple Impact Youth Empowerment Collaborative (TIYEC)
$937,538
Deena Fuller
(615) 963-5155
dfuller@tnstate.edu

Abstract

The Nashville Youth Empowerment Program will promote positive youth development by providing mentoring, academic support, health education, coping skills and leadership training by pairing high school students with college youth to enhance their academic performance, basic life skills, self-esteem and personal resiliency. The project intends to increase the academic and health outcomes of college and high school students across their respective, four-year educational experiences. The target population is high school students from the partner organizations - 30 in the first year and 20 in years two and three. The project will address three layers of need:

The need in P-12 schools in Tennessee, due to low testing scores, low high school/college graduation rates and racial disparities among graduates,
The need in low-income neighborhoods, due to income disparities and high rates of poverty, crime, chronic health risks and varying degrees of physical decay and
The need in the university, in order to improve retention and graduation rates, engage students in meaningful learning experiences that lead to successful attainment of academic goals, provide systematic opportunities for TSU students to engage in collaborative service-learning projects in P-12 schools and after-school programs that result in improved college success.

The project will coordinate efforts to provide structured weekly programming both during school hours and after school, and opportunities for the youth to develop healthy lifestyle behaviors and to achieve academically. The curriculum will include sessions on violence prevention, safety, nutrition and fitness, coping strategies for avoiding drugs and alcohol, men's issues, healthy sexuality issues of adolescent development, leadership and many other topics suggested by the participants. Expected outcomes include youth developing knowledge of healthy lifestyles and decision making skills, students increase their ATSPPH-S or ATSPH test scores, and students attending and/or participating in two cultural heritage events each academic year. Performance measures include a percentage of youth completing two service projects each year, a percentage of students self-reporting that they have not engaged in risky behaviors, a percentage of students who reduced their risk-taking behavior on a pre/post-test surveys. The evaluation plan includes an annual assessment. This will show progress by increasing student capacity to succeed in school and avoid risky behaviors. Evaluators will track GPA, program retention, school retention, students' willingness to engage in healthy behaviors and in school.

OMH objective(s) toward which the project's results most contribute:

Increased awareness, education, & outreach to address racial/ethnic minority health & health disparities problems

Content Last Modified: 4/26/2011 5:05:00 PM

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