Project Pencil

Nashville, Tennessee is home to the PENCIL Foundation (Public Education Needs, Community Involvement, Leadership). PENCIL Foundation opened its doors on April 1, 1982 to create a vital link between the private sector and public education, to increase understanding of and appreciation for the public school system, to promote community involvement in student learning, and to secure a strong commitment from business leaders to help provide materials and resources necessary for schools to meet the needs of their students. PENCIL remains committed to its vision that community involvement and leadership in public education lead to academic success and life-sustaining careers for all Nashville citizens.

Professional students at Meharry and Vanderbilt yearned to become more involved in the Nashville community in general and school children in particular. The Meharry-Vanderbilt Student Alliance (MVSA) was formed during the 2003-2004 academic year to encourage collaboration between students from the two institutions in the areas of community service and educational programming. Partnering with PENCIL was a logical match because PENCIL had the school contacts, trained the tutors, accomplished the background checks, and was quite familiar with needs in Math and Reading. Each year Meharry and Vanderbilt student volunteers have numbered about 30 tutors from each institution, impacting some 400 Metro school children each year. 

While MVSA has had tutoring relationships with other organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Family and Children’s Service, the commitment to the PENCIL program has maintained its momentum for 4 years and provides the flexibility required by professional students. 

The tutoring experience has proved to be mutually beneficial and rewarding. Metro school children look forward to meeting with their tutors and avoid being absent on the days the tutor is scheduled to come. The tutor receives the benefit of stepping out of his/her busy medical student life to talk with and influence a young person. Statistics show that academic improvement has been demonstrated in schools where tutoring occurs. Some tutors keep their tutoring relationship in place for multiple years.

Because of the rewarding experiences among the Meharry and Vanderbilt tutors and the Metro students, PENCIL submitted a program proposal to the Gulf South Summit on Service Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education. The proposal, “A Perfect Match: Medical Students as Math and Reading Partners,” was accepted. The conference, hosted by Belmont University, was on March 13 - 15 at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. The PENCIL staff and student coordinators about their experiences as tutors to a national audience. The student speakers invited were Natasha Lowe, Meharry Medical College SOM, Courtney Harrison, Vanderbilt SOM and CJ Stimson, Vanderbilt SOM. 

For more information about PENCIL programs, please contact Debby Gould at 242-3167 extension 235. If you have questions about MVSA programs, please contact Susanne Brinkley at 936-6070.