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Oreck Corporation Donates $4,000.oo to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee

 

On January 27, 2010, Tennessee Titans radio personality Mike Keith joined Bill Fry, President and CEO of Nashville based Oreck Corporation, and Titan cheerleaders to award Deanna Miller from Pleasant View, TN, winner of the Oreck Power Team MVP Titans program. Titans fan, Miller was chosen at random from the 3500 fans who voted on the Oreck Power Team weekly player throughout the 2009 season.  She took home an advanced new Oreck Platinum Pilot™ vacuum cleaner with revolutionary 360 degree glide.

 

The Oreck contest benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. Bob Jacobs, VP of Resource Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs was also on hand to receive a contribution from Oreck as part of the Titans Power Play program.

 

The award ceremony took place at the Oreck Clean Home Center, 3748 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville. “Titans fans deserve the best for all their support and for joining in Oreck’s program. Our fans like, Deanna Miller are the real MVPs,” Keith said.  “I applaud Oreck for its contribution to the Boys & Girls Club to support their work to help youth in our area.”


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Taco Bell College Tour

<Back to Programs

 


Since 2000, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee have taken over 225 youth to tour campuses throughout the U.S.  Areas visited include Washington D.C., Maryland, North Carolina, Central Ohio, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.  The 2009 tour included universities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

The purpose of the Taco Bell College Tour is to expose our youth to college campuses outside of Middle Tennessee. Most of the young people involved at BGCMT have extremely limited resources (70% of the kids we serve come from families that make less than $25,000/yr.) and without this program would not have the opportunity to be exposed to the idea of college.

Along with attending the tour, each youth must keep a journal and receive training on topics including standardized tests, researching colleges, completing university applications, resume writing, interviewing skills, financial aid, money management and short- and long-term goal setting.

Teens are asked to pay $50 each toward their trip.  However, no young person will be refused the opportunity to participate due to the inability to pay. Staff, volunteers and youth work together to meet the annual $35,000 budget. 

The College Readiness Program has kicked off another year in the fall of 2009 with its first session that allowed participants to elect their leadership. Several young people were recognized by their peers and elected to represent them on the 2009 College Readiness Student Executive Committee. These young people worked to establish roles and responsibilities for the committee members, set expectations for all Program participants, set the initial service project and discussed the Schools/Route of the Tour. (To date there have been 78 young people attending the training sessions described below.)

Over the past months there have been trainings on:

  • Goal Setting
    • Participants work toward establishing short & long term goals
  • ACT & SAT prep with Princeton Review
    • Study tips established
    • How to register for test
    • Locations for testing
  • Goals for Graduation
    • Academic goals established
    • Short & long term goals
    • Goals & strategies for academic improvement
  • "How to Sell Yourself" (with potential employers, schools etc.)
    • Guest speaker discussed how to make positive first impressions
  • Careers Explorations
    • Guest Speaker from YBuild program discuss career interests and exploration
  • Resume & Cover letter writing
    • Guest speaker from Robert Half International lead a discussion and exercises on resume & cover letter writing as well as interviewing do's & don'ts.

We still have a few more trainings to go.

We are working to finalize the rout and tour dates with several Colleges and Universities selected by the participants. A final list will not be available until Mid February, as many of the potential tour stops are requesting extensions on scheduling.

2010 College Tour Itinerary

 

Day 1 - March 15, 2010

 

12:00am          DepartAndrew Jackson Club (Dallas, TX bound)


8:00am            Breakfast(on road)


10:00am          Arrivein Dallas, Tour of Paul Quinn College (Guided)

                      3837 Simpson Stuart Road

                      Dallas, TX 35241

                      (214) 376-1000

                      Contact:Yolanda


12:30pm           Lunch


2:00pm            Tour Universityof Texas at Arlington (Guided)

                      701 S. Nedderman Drive

                      Arlington, TX 76019

                      (817) 272-0146

                      Contact: Brittney Joyce      


4:00pm            TourDallas CowboysStadium


7:00pm            Dinner


9:00pm            HotelCheck-In

 

Day 2 - March 16, 2010

 

4:30am            Meetin Lobby

                      Check-outof Hotel


5:00am            Breakfast


5:45am            DepartDallas (College Stationbound)


9:00am            Arrivein College Station, TX

                      TourTexas A&M(Guided)

                      1372TAMU

                      College Station, TX 77843

                      (979)845-1060

                      Contact:Aaron Trask


9:15-11:00       Campus Tour


11:15-12:15     Admissions/Scholarships & FinancialAid Session


12:30-1:30       Lunch


1:45-2:30         Tour Residence Hall    


3:00pm             PostOak Mall (shopping trip)

                       1500 Harvey Road

                       College Station, TX 77840


5:15pm             DepartCollege Station (Houston Bound)


7:00pm             Dinner


8:45pm             Arrivein Houston

                       HotelCheck-in

 

Day 3 - March 17, 2010

 

8:00am             Meetin Lobby


8:30am             Breakfast


10:00am           Tour Rice University (Guided)

                       6100Main

                       Houston, TX 77251

                       (713) 348-6124

                       Contact:Jennifer Adair


1:00pm             Lunch


2:00pm             TourTexasSouthern University (Guided)

                       3100 Cleburne St.

                       Houston, TX 77004

                       (713)313-7011


4:45pm             Arriveback at Hotel


6:00pm             Dinner

                       BasketballGame (Gates open at 6:30)

                       HoustonRockets VS Memphis Grizzlies (Game starts at 7:30)


11:00pm           Arriveback at Hotel

 

Day 4 - March 18, 2010

 

7:30am            Meetin Lobby

                      Check-outof Hotel


8:00am            Breakfast


9:00am            Houston Baptist University

                      7502 Fondren Road

                      Houston, TX 77074

                      (281)649-3000


12:00pm           Lunch


1:30pm            Tour NASA Johnson Space Center

                      1601 NASA Parkway

                      Houston, TX 77058


4:00pm            DepartHouston (Little Rock, AR bound)


7:00pm            Dinner(on road)


11:30pm           Arrivein Little Rock

                      HotelCheck-in

 

Day 5 - March 19, 2010

 

8:00am            Meetin Lobby

                      Check-outof Hotel


8:30am            Breakfast


10:00am          TourPhilander Smith College (Guided)

                     900Daisy Bates

                     Little Rock, AR 72202

                     (501) 370-5221

                     Contact:Shannon


12:30pm          Lunch


1:30pm            TourClintonPresidential Library & Museum

                      1200 Clinton Ave.

                      Little Rock, AR 72201

                      (501)374-4242


4:00pm            DepartLittle Rock (Nashville Bound)


7:00pm            Dinner


11:30pm                  Arrivein Nashville, TN


Please click here to read an excerpt from a Club Member's College Tour Journal. 

Please contact Jim Williamson, 615.425.7016, if you are interested in supporting this program.

Click here to learn more about the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens, direct supporters of this initiative.



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