Statements
Mission
PTM empowers Preston Taylor children and youth to discover and live their God-inspired dreams, develop a love for learning, and build joy-filled friendships that glorify Christ Jesus.
Background
In 1985, Perry McGowan, a Preston Taylor Housing Development resident and recent Pearl-Cohn graduate, saw children in his neighborhood without a safe place to grow and learn. Perry began tutoring 8 children in his mom's living room. As 8 turned into 16, Perry arranged for space in a trailer maintained by the Preston Taylor Management Office and offered tutoring, drug prevention training, Boy Scouts, field trips, fashion shows, and sports opportunities; Preston Taylor parents served as volunteers. In the mid-1990s, Metro Parks hired Perry to run programming at the Preston Taylor Community Center. In 1997, Patrick Hamilton began volunteering at the center. Perry introduced him to students, parents, and community leaders, and Patrick connected church leaders (Warner Durnell, Linda Knott), community leaders (Tim Bryant) and parents (Mark McShand, Paula Thomas) to build on the work Perry had started.
In March 1998, Preston Taylor Ministries was formally incorporated as a nonprofit. PTM offered a summer program at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church with Bible studies, recreation, tutoring, and music instruction. In 1999, PTM moved to First Baptist Church of West Nashville. In addition to summer/afterschool programs, PTM added mentoring programming.
In 2007, PTM moved operations into a building at 4014 Indiana Avenue donated by Martha and Hal Wilson. This permanent space (Wilson Center) provided a base to expand through the launching of satellite sites. In 2008, PTM established a second afterschool site in North Nashville in partnership with Faith United Missionary Baptist Church. In 2010, PTM began serving high school students through the Servant and Leadership Training (SaLT) program, which offers tutoring, life skills and job training, career and college exploration, and service learning. From 2010-2020, PTM added afterschool sites including ones in partnership with St. Luke's Community House (2016) and McGruder Center (2019). Today, PTM can serve up to 300 children/youth in K-13th grade (1 year post high school) at 8 afterschool sites. PTM believes that to be successful, children need to connect to a caring adult, a positive peer group, a purpose, and educational opportunity.
Impact
PTM believes that children need to dream - not dreams that they pick up from their peers or from the adults in their community, not even dreams that they inherit from their families or from PTM volunteers, but dreams that God has given them. Understanding, discovering, and grasping these dreams happens best through Christian friendships and educational achievement. In order to deepen this environment, our most significant goals for this year include 1) having 75% of our students are practicing connectedness by active participation in afterschool programming, growing in literacy skills, in a mentoring relationship with a caring adult, in a positive peer group, and has participated in an enriching experience, 2) add another afterschool program site to serve an additional 20-30 students), and 3) build PTM's staff infrastructure to prepare for future growth. Our most significant accomplishments of the last year include the following: 1) PTM had over 120 students who were practicing connectedness (mentoring, positive peer group, reading development) 2) PTM had over 120 students participate in a sports team, and 3) PTM has had the privilege to hire former students on as staff.
Needs
1) Financial and volunteer support to continue expanding service and outreach to all PTM students.
2) Volunteers to support an additional satellite afterschool site to serve more children.
3) Partnerships that help provide jobs for high school students and recent graduates.
CEO Statement
In 2012 while interning at a church in Jackson, Mississippi, I realized my love for children and youth leading me to Center for Youth Ministry Training which connected me with Preston Taylor Ministries. For eight years I was a part of PTM's staff helping to lead youth programs and being a part of an organization making an impact in Northwest Nashville. As Executive Director, I am excited about building relationships that move beyond the surface and into the space of transformation and am equally excited to bridge people and opportunity to PTM's vision. I will work to continue creating and building responsible and impactful programs for children and youth, invest in PTM's staff and families and brainstorm innovative ways to do ministry within the ever evolving cultural shifts of our neighborhoods. It is an honor to co-labor with PTM to continuously champion for equity, visibility and faith building.
Service Categories |
|
| Primary Category: | Youth Development - Youth Centers and Clubs (includes Boys/Girls Clubs)- Multipurpose |
| Secondary Category: | Religion- Related - Christianity |
| Tertiary Category: | Education - |
Areas Served
The Preston Taylor community of West Nashville, the Nations, the Haynes Garden Apartments community in the Whites Creek area of Nashville, and the Skyview Apartments neighborhood of West Nashville. Also, the Nations and Charlotte Park neighborhoods and most recently in the neighborhood around the McGruder Center in North Nashville.
| TN - Davidson |
