Grants Awarded: 2008 - $150,000; 2009 - $150,000

Convening Partners: Presbyterian Community Center and New Directions Housing Corporation

Collaborative Partners: Bates Community Development Corp., Coke Methodist Church, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Meyzeek Middle School, and the Shelby Park Community Center.

The nine-month Change Makers program at the Presbyterian Community Center provides a personal academic and leadership development program for residents of the Smoketown and Shelby Park neighborhoods between the ages of 17 to 25.

During 2008-2009, 42 young adults were connected to a multi-faceted academic and leadership support network that offers custom-designed educational opportunities to help improve each participant’s academic and wage-earning performance. The program was developed through the Smoketown/Shelby Park Ten-Year Redevelopment Plan for the neighborhood to create an affordable, family-friendly community with high educational attainment for all its residents.

When the Presbyterian Community Center and its community partners celebrated the “graduation” of the first 25 Change Maker participants to complete the program, William Minter, the Change Makers Program Director at the Center, said, “We applaud the success that each of our participants has experienced. Our nine college students are all returning to their respective schools this fall. Four additional participants are attending Jefferson Community & Technical College and are also participating in the JCTC Change Makers program. Another participant is attending the Galen College School of Nursing, and two have pursued GED certifications.”

Minter also reported that “all of our Change Maker participants have completed approximately 100 hours of community service. Eight Change Makers served as mentors in the Metro Middle School Mentoring Program, and five have served the community as mentors to children through programming offered here at the Presbyterian Community Center. As you can see, our Change Makers are helping to shape the future of their neighborhood.” In addition, Minter noted that the Change Makers project at PCC either referred or offered employment opportunities to ten participants. He said, “We are well on our way to expanding our Change Makers network and look forward to working with our next class of Change Makers in 2010.”