Tuscaloosa Education Foundation Gives Grants To 7 Area Schools

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — The Tuscaloosa County School System (TCSS) on Thursday announced five TCSS schools received grants from the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation (TEF) this week, while Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) said two from its system were awarded funds.

Both schools the grants will support individual schools in further developing their character education programs, with all seven schools involved in the Hope Leadership Academy.

TEF, which awarded just short of $15,000 in its latest round of grant funding, is a nonprofit that seeks to provide support and financial resources to enhance public education through a partnership with both TCSS and TCS.

The Hope Leadership Academy is a three-year process of building a "character-focused school culture," with an expressed goal of enabling educators from participating schools to create strategies that help them develop an environment that promotes character development.

Founded in 2016, the Hope Institute, which oversees the program, is partnered with Samford University’s Orlean Beeson School of Education to help provide schools in Alabama with best practices for developing good character in students.

The Hope Institute is currently involved in more than 80 Alabama schools by providing on-site consulting, lectures, professional development opportunities and research to support each school.

TCSS SCHOOLS RECEIVING GRANTS

Davis Emerson Middle School - $2,200

Cottondale Elementary - $2,500

Englewood Elementary - $2,500

Flatwoods Elementary - $2,500

Brookwood Middle School - $2,500

TCS SCHOOLS RECEIVING GRANTS

Verner Elementary - $1,550

Westlawn Middle School - $1,100