Lipscomb University's PENCIL Partner

Making a difference in our community is important to Lipscomb University. One way Lipscomb is involved in the Nashville community is through the PENCIL Foundation. 

Lipscomb joined forces with PENCIL early in its inception and served as the partner school for Glendale School for 18 years until it was closed in the spring of 2003.  At that time, a new school that was opening in the fall of 2003 recruited the committee representing Lipscomb. As a result,  Croft Middle School was chosen as the university's new school partner.

Lipscomb wins PENCIL Foundation honorable mention for school partnership

The PENCIL Foundation of Nashville has awarded Lipscomb University a 2007 Outstanding School Partner honorable mention for its efforts to enhance the educational programs at Croft Middle School over the past year.

Lipscomb has been a long-time participant in the PENCIL Partner program, first partnering with Glendale School for 18 years and then partnering with Croft Middle, on Elysian Fields, since 2003.

According to Croft Principal Barry D. Watkins, “Lipscomb University deserves special recognition for the level of continuing support and the variety of ways that faculty and staff engage in the learning process at Croft.”

In the past year, Lipscomb has provided volunteers for the Cougar Tutoring Program, sponsored the Bison Bunch Luncheon Program and carried out campus beautification projects. Other projects have included working with the Croft Chess Club, hosting the school spelling bee and helping students establish pen pal relationships with other countries.

“It’s been such a pleasure working with the Croft students in the past few years. We are always looking for new opportunities to serve the school and get more of the Lipscomb family involved,” said Coby Davis, Lipscomb’s PENCIL Partnership coordinator. “I hope this award will spur more of our talented students and faculty to lend a hand at Croft.”

In his nomination of Lipscomb, Croft Principal Watkins described Lipscomb’s involvement over the past year, including providing nearly 80 students to serve as tutors in small group and one-on-one tutoring sessions, providing 12 to 15 volunteers to plant flower beds at the front and rear school entrances, hosting a “welcome back” breakfast for faculty at the beginning of the school year and providing auditorium space for student productions.

Lipscomb practicum and pre-practicum students who serve as volunteer tutors at Croft “represent a significant contribution to support the achievement goals of all students,” Watkins said.

In addition, Lipscomb coordinates and funds the Bison Bunch Luncheon Recognition and Incentive Program. Every six weeks teachers nominate two students from each homeroom to go on a field trip to the Lipscomb campus along with their parents. The students take a tour, participate in a planned activity in an academic department and have lunch in the dining hall.

This program especially reinforced Croft’s motto for this past school year: “Good to Great… All Cougars Go to College.”

Davis said the PENCIL Partner program can always use additional volunteers to tutor children and sponsor on-campus activities for them during Bison Bunch visits. Plus new ideas are coming up all the time for ways to enhance the Croft students’ education, he said.

The PENCIL Foundation, a nonprofit organization, creates a vital link between the private sector and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, increasing appreciation for public education, promoting community involvement in student learning and securing a commitment from business leaders to provide essential materials and resources.

Each year the foundation gives out the Outstanding School Partner Award, the Outstanding System-wide Partnership Award and the E. Bronson Ingram Award. This year the Dollar General Corporation won the Outstanding School Partner Award with Creative Artists Agency, Rogers Group and Lipscomb University each earning honorable mention.

Mayor Bill Purcell was presented the Ingram award, and LP Building Products and the Tennessee Titans tied for the Outstanding System-wide Partner Award. The foundation presented all the awards at a reception on Wednesday, May 2.

If you are interested in volunteering for Lipscomb’s PENCIL Partner program at Croft, contact Davis at 615.966.6079. To visit the PENCIL Foundation Website, click here.

Below are just a few pictures from the many events and activities with which Lipscomb has been involved.  The first section show webpages generated by Croft students on days that they visited the Lipscomb campus.  Lipscomb professors assisted the students.

Croft Middle School

Lipscomb's Education majors often work in the classroom and after school to assist tutoring and teaching students.