East Nashville Hope Exchange

Board of Directors:

Steven Moats, President	Robyn Smith, Secretary	Chris Klein, Treasurer
Tom Hardin	Rick Britton	Edith Foster	Shani Dowell

For more information about the program or volunteer opportunities contact the ENHE Executive Director Renee Southall by email or phone at 615.876.5411.

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East Nashville Hope Exchange: Gifts Unseen Made Visible

East Nashville Hope Exchange is a learning community for elementary school children and those who care for them. Our five-week, tuition-free summer program develops local children’s literacy and leadership skills while strengthening caregiver and community involvement in children's education. Transcending socio-economic, racial, and religious barriers, we provide a supportive environment that nurtures hopes and dreams and allows unseen gifts to be made visible.

Founded in 2002, our summer program focuses on disadvantaged children who have completed grades 1–3. We offer small classes with a teacher and 1–2 volunteers, coupled with a unique interactive curriculum which includes building-block reading and writing classes that introduce children to an array of books, poems, and articles connected to weekly themes which develop literacy, leadership, and cooperative learning skills. Music, dance, and field trips relating to the theme supplement learning. Students also participate in arts and crafts, athletic games, weekly cultural enrichment trips, and various social activities, which are structured to incorporate conflict resolution skills and responsibility.  In 2011 East Nashville Hope Exchange received 501c3 status from the State of Tennessee.

Parent Empowerment Dinners

Parent Empowerment Dinners each week focus on forging a partnership between Hope Exchange staff and parents, so that the parents can continue to support reading the rest of the year. Programs include subjects such as how parents can navigate the school systems to make sure their children achieve the best results possible.

Books Go Home with Children

One of the unique features of our program is the effort to ensure that gains continue after children leave the program. That is done by allowing children to take materials used home, including one book each week, as well as enlisting and honing the involvement of caregivers through our parent empowerment dinners.

Poverty is a crushing reality for many children in East Nashville. According to the 2000 Census, 29.2 percent of children in the area live in poverty. This presents a significant challenge for their school readiness and performance. Additionally, 33 percent of adults over age 25 in the area have not completed high school. This statistic often translates into parents who feel ill-equipped to advocate for their children in school. That is one of the problems our Parent Empowerment Dinners address.

Testing Shows Big Gains

In 2010, we did pre- and post-program evaluation of all 40 students using the Ekwall-Shanker Reading Inventory and the El Paso Phonics Survey. The Reading Inventory found that half the students improved or maintained in all three areas: comprehension, accuracy, and fluency. The inventory showed 37 of 40 improved in at least one area: 30 of 40 in comprehension; 27 of 40 in accuracy; and 27 of 40 in fluency. The Phonics Survey found 100 percent improved or maintained in their ability to use phonics in reading. Previous testing of some of the students in past years had shown improvements, but this year was the first time we were able to test all the students and we were extremely pleased with our results.

In nine years of operating, Hope Exchange has supported itself through a combination of grants, foundations, individual contributions, and fundraising efforts. We manage our finances tightly in order to build a cash reserve to ensure that the program continues. Last year, about half of our funds came from foundations, the reminder is through fundraising, including an annual event each April, and private donations. Previous foundation donors include Dell, Dandridge Trust, Memorial Foundation, and the Community Foundation. We are in the process of applying for a separate 501(c)(3). Last year, Hope Exchange was incorporated, but has not yet received its on 501(c)(3), so we continue to operate under the nonprofit status of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church through the Episcopal Diocese. The program typically begins in June and ends in mid-July.