Published On: 06.12.15 | 

By: Donna Cope

Elevate grant boosts ‘Writing Our Stories’ to help Shelby County students

There’s no telling what ideas one can brew up over a good cup of joe. The way Terri Sullivan tells it, a coffee break with friends in 2009 birthed “Writing Our Stories,” a program that has spurred a newfound creativity in hundreds of middle-schoolers.

But it took a $10,000 grant from the Alabama Power Foundation for Sullivan and the Shelby County Arts Council to fully bring to fruition her idea of incorporating an anti-violence component into creative writing classes. Now, seventh-graders at Columbiana and Montevallo middle schools are reaping the benefits.

“We couldn’t have grown our Writing Our Stories program without the grant from Alabama Power Foundation,” said Sullivan, who noted the program expanded to Montevallo this year. “The schools love this, and the program is doing so much for the students – it transfers over to understanding any subject they take in school.”

Shelby County Arts Council from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

It wasn’t the first time the Alabama Power Foundation stepped in to help, she said. In 2005, the foundation provided the seed money that allowed Sullivan to start the Shelby County Arts Council, which promotes arts and culture, and provides an economic impact in Shelby County.

The Shelby County Arts Council has a gallery and a black box theater, provides field trips to the symphony and musical workshops, among other efforts.

“Over the years, the Alabama Power Foundation has helped support numerous outreach efforts we’ve done in our community,” Sullivan said.

Attendees from the 2014 Elevate conference, hosted in Montgomery.

With its current grant, the council sponsors Writing Our Stories and writer Tony Crunk, who weekly visits those schools to assist in the English curriculum. Crunk works one on one with students, helping the children put their thoughts into poetry and personal stories. At the end of the 10-week program, students’ works are compiled into a published anthology. The program not only improves kids’ abilities, but is responsible for life-changing benefits, Sullivan said.

“A lot of the messaging in the class involves anti-bullying,” Sullivan said. “There are challenges at some of our Shelby County schools.”

She said that many people are unaware that at Columbiana Middle School, for instance, about 50 percent of children are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. That figure is 70 percent at Vincent Middle School.

Meanwhile, about 30 percent of students are in remedial English and math classes. Sullivan said the council’s desire is to reach “a good cross-section” of students, to serve where kids need the most help.

While the original intent was to beef up seventh-graders’ writing skills – preparing them for high school and onward – the program has had other positive results, she said.

“The kids are writing about their feelings and lives,” Sullivan said. “They’re hearing the personal stories of other students in their class and are learning how to walk in their shoes. It’s producing an undercurrent, a byproduct that happens when someone has empathy or compassion for someone else. Many don’t feel self-worth or feel worth in others. So they’re learning to respect each other, and they’re respecting themselves more after they see their work published.”

She said the positive after-effects are similarly seen at Alabama youth detention centers, which years ago incorporated the use of professional teaching writers.

“It’s great to see Tony go into the schools,” Sullivan said. “When he walks into a room, they’re captivated, and they respond to him – he pulls that energy and excitement out of them. We would love to do this program in every middle school.”

“The goal of the Elevate conference is to find ways for nonprofits to reach new heights in serving residents across the state.” Hallie Bradley, Community Initiatives manager, Alabama Power

Attending Alabama Power’s 2015 Elevate Conference on June 12, Sullivan hopes that she and Bruce Andrews, executive director of the arts council, establish new contacts and return with ideas to further grow their organization. Indeed, the goal of the conference is to find ways for nonprofits to reach new heights in serving residents across the state, said Hallie Bradley, Community Initiatives manager – Alabama Power.

Nonprofit attendees come away from the meeting with a greater understanding of how the Alabama Power Foundation can partner with them. Last year, as she enjoyed an Elevate Conference workshop, Sullivan found it “very enlightening to see what a strong board infrastructure looks like.”

With fundraising integral to Shelby County Arts Council’s ability to fulfill its missions – the group also helps special-needs children through therapeutic arts and music – Sullivan will take hold of advice from experts at the Elevate Conference, she said.

While she’s grateful for that long-ago conversation that helped birth Writing Our Stories, Sullivan is cognizant that “no great work happens in a vacuum.”

“We provide these big arts-related outreach programs, and we’re so thankful for our grant from the foundation,” she said.