At Urban Green Lab, we teach communities how to live sustainably. Founded in 2009, we work to ensure all of us have access to sustainable living education.
Nearly half of Nashvillians live in financial poverty according to a 2022 Metro Social Services report. UpRise is a place where Nashvillians experiencing poverty — single moms, veterans, people overcoming addiction and incarceration and refugees — are equipped with training and education that uniquely fits their life circumstances and goals.
In as little as 10 weeks, participants called UpRise Leaders can launch a career with upward mobility and full benefits that allows them to provide for themselves and their families. UpRise Graduates earn an average of $21,800 more per year in their first year of work and experience a 57% reduction in the need for SNAP (food stamps).
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
Travellers Rest Historic House Museum, Inc. is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the 1799 Overton home and landscape and serving as a gateway for learners of all ages to explore and experience Nashville’s historic past.
For the 2022 Big Payback, we are raising funds to stabilize our historic smokehouse that was built in the 1840s. Preservation of the smokehouse is an integral part of the site’s landscape and overall interpretation, especially since it is one of three historic building on the property. Addressing structural issues and masonry needs will help in preserving the structure for future generations to continue to learn about the history and specific activities and individuals associated with the smokehouse. This benefit is reflected in the organization’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan where the highest priority is placed on updating and expanding the interpretation of individuals, particularly the enslaved and post-emancipation African Americans who lived and worked at Travellers Rest.
This year we are thrilled to The Henry Laird Smith Foundation providing a dollar for dollar match for the first $5,000 raised.
