PENCIL Partners are Nashville-area businesses, organizations, and faith communities that partner with a Nashville public school. PENCIL Partners volunteer time and other resources to help children achieve academically, develop life skills, and make a successful transition from school to career.
There are over 750 PENCIL partnerships in Davidson County that serve nearly 80,000 children in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). PENCIL Partners include Nashville’s largest employers as well as small businesses, professional and neighborhood groups, retailers, faith communities, and university student organizations.
How It Works
PENCIL staff works with interested businesses to find the right school, based on proximity and how the organization would like to be involved. Each partnership has both a community and school coordinator, who work together to determine partnership activities for the year. Coordinators are instrumental in insuring partnership effectiveness. Coordinators are given a Partnership Coordinator's Manual to guide them in establishing and maintaining their community-school partnerships.
PENCIL Partner Activities
Whether your business is large or small, there are a variety of ways to get involved! Here are some of the ways PENCIL Partners assist their schools:
Provide classroom readers
Provide reading or math tutors
Provide support for arts or music
Provide space for school meetings
Donate school supplies
Organize recognition events for students and/or faculty
Assist with transportation for field trips
Provide technical support for computers
Provide internships
Assist with landscaping or playground construction
CLICK HEREfor more partnership activities! CLICK HERE for a list of PENCIL Partners sorted by school.
If your organization would like to be paired with an MNPS school during the 2012-2013 school year, complete this Partnership Application and fax back to Nikki Baker, 254-6748.
New and exciting opportunities are available to students with the creation of thematic Career Academies. There is a tremendous need for business engagement in our high schools, as students choose a pathway and begin to explore careers and get hands-on training in specific career fields. Business expertise is need to help shape the academies and provide additional opportunities to students.
If your business would like to partner with a high school career academy, please fill out the Academy Partnership Form.
PENCIL Partners are Nashville-area businesses, organizations, and faith communities that partner with a Nashville public school. PENCIL Partners volunteer time and other resources to help children achieve academically, develop life skills, and make a successful transition from school to career.