Third round of ETSU Elevates awarded

On Thursday, the third ETSU Elevates pitch competition pitted local organizations against each other in a head-to-head battle for $5,000 grants. 

After an introduction by the night’s emcee, Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Cantler, competitors pitched their ideas in the order that they were drawn. Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Volunteer ETSU won $5,000 and first place for their Bunkheads plan to build beds for needy children in the area. SHP utilizes a simple bed design to minimize cost and maximize the ease for volunteer builders. The funding from ETSU Elevates will allow for an extensive building day schedule for ETSU’s own Dula Day of Service. 

“We don’t hang on to them very long,” said Adam Harber, SHP’s Sullivan County chapter president. “This should provide us with at least 30 beds, and our goal for this year, 2020, is 100 beds, so we probably won’t have them for more than a few weeks. We’ve already got names on the books that could definitely use these beds tonight.”

Feeding 5,000 won second place grant funding for their plan to expand their existing summer food assistance program. Avoca Christian Church’s Heather Cross highlighted the acute need for summer food programs in the region, and how critical months are left unsupported. The team plans to open one or two more locations to reach underserved areas.

Streamworks won third place and funding for the creation of underwater robotics teams for local middle and high schools. The goal of the nonprofit is to integrate learning from science, technology, reading, engineering and mathematics in order to engage interested students and help bring up those that may be behind. The grant will allow the creation of two teams and their eventual participation in competitions. 

The Langston Centre proposed the creation of the Ralph E. Davis Leadership Scholars Academy, which would focus on community involvement and education in 8 to 14-year-olds in the Washington County area. Interested students would engage in civic involvement like leadership training and volunteer internships.

United Way and the Department of Media and Communication proposed Treasures and Tales, a storytelling program for underserved children in the area. United Way’s Crystal Carter and ETSU student Britney Rochette outlined the vital importance of 30 minutes of daily reading in a young child’s life and how a the large population of children are not receiving this important time. Treasures and Tales planned to use the grant for phase two of the project and pulling local talent and community figures for filmed reading sessions. 

Each competition features five randomly selected teams that pitch their respective ideas for improving the community. Each team receives seven minutes for the pitch and three audience questions with one minute response times. Potential grant winners need a faculty member on their team, but projects have been funded across the region.

For more information regarding ETSU Elevates, visit etsu.edu/etsuelevates