General | 10/16/2018 10:24:00 AM |
TSU Athletics Receives Grant from Save the Children Fund
HOUSTON- The Texas Southern University Athletics Department has a received grant in the amount of $98,111 from the Save the Children Fund. The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization that promotes children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries.
"On, August 25, 2017 the City of Houston was devastated by Hurricane Harvey and although over a year has passed, many are still physically, mentally, and psychologically impacted by the catastrophic flooding," said TSU Assistant AD Adeanah Pooler. "Moreover some neighborhoods which were heavily populated as economically disadvantaged prior to Hurricane Harvey have endured a greater sense of devastation after the category four storm compared to other Houston area neighborhoods; one such community is the Third Ward," said Pooler.
The TSU Tiger Cubs is a program focused on positively impacting Third Ward school aged students. With the grant TSU Athletics will build an athletic based program for school aged children in the local Third Ward community.
"The mission of the TSU Tiger Cubs is to foster healthy lifestyles through literacy and sports," said Pooler. "The Tiger Cubs will meet this mission through offering three Third Ward community-based programs during the 2018-19 academic year that will include but are not limited to YES Prep and KIPP-Houston charter schools."
The three major programs and initiatives that will serve as the foundation of the grant are as follows:
Tiger Cubs – Earn Your Stripes
TSU Athletics will invite children from Third Ward schools to the campus for a health and literacy event. This campus scavenger hunt will require the students to find different items for their "Tool Kit for Success". The goal of this one day program is to promote literacy through requiring students to use critical thinking to enhance their problem solving skills. Each student will also attend informative sessions on healthy eating and wellness, study skills, and reading comprehension. Using sports as an integration tool, each session will also include a sport activity which the students will be challenged to complete prior to "Earning their Stripes" at the end of the day.
Tiger Cubs – World Book Day
To celebrate World Book Day on April 23, 2019, TSU Athletics will partner with Houston-based YES Prep and KIPP charter schools during the months of February, March, and April. Students enrolled in these schools will be given a reading challenge to have completed by April 23. Each month the student with the most books read will be awarded with a class pizza party and visit from members from a TSU Athletic program. In addition, throughout each month students will have an opportunity to earn prizes for participating in games which promote reading comprehension and literacy. While participating in these games students will also be provided with healthy snacks to promote healthy eating and wellness. In addition, athletic administrators, college student-athletes, professors from the College of Education, mascots and cheerleaders will travel to help celebrate the students throughout this event. In April, the school with the most read books will be honored at a home TSU Basketball game and given tickets for students, staff, faculty, and administrators. Each school will be given books for the students to read each month and they will be able to keep the books for their school library at the conclusion of the program.
Tiger Cubs – Field Day Challenge
High school aged students from Third Ward schools will be invited to campus for a field day event. The field day event will be facilitated by TSU Athletics on the campus of a Third Ward high school. The field day event will also include wellness seminars on healthy eating as well as fitness strategies and athletic skill sessions.
"Under the leadership of TSU President Dr. Austin Lane Texas Southern University has fully embraced its role of helping revitalize and enhance the local community that surrounds our campus," said TSU Interim VP of Intercollegiate Athletics Kevin Granger. "Here at TSU one of the key components of Dr. Lane's vision is to address critical urban issues, and prepare its student population to become a force for positive change in society. In following his lead and direction we couldn't find any better way to make a positive and significant impact than by providing these programs to the local Third Ward Community as we look to assist with the rebuilding of an area of Houston that was so adversely affected."
About Texas Southern University:
Texas Southern University possesses an impressive array of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations, a diverse faculty, 80-plus student organizations, and an extensive alumni network comprised of educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, lawyers, pilots, artists, and more, many of whom are change agents on the local, national and international stage. Nestled upon a sprawling 150-acre campus, Texas Southern University is one of the nation's largest historically black universities.
Our academic curriculum is organized into eleven colleges and schools that continue to serve as cornerstones for developing the greatest potential in leaders from various socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Some of TSU's well-known graduates include the late U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and U.S. Congressman George "Mickey" Leland.
Texas Southern University is heralded as a pioneer and has distinguished itself by producing a significant number of African American students who have obtained post-secondary and advanced degrees. The university's enrollment has grown from 2,303 students to more than 10,237 undergraduate and graduate students from across the world. Although initially established to educate African Americans, Texas Southern University has become one of the most diverse institutions in Texas.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics