ETSU Elevates highlights ideas to uplift the region
Image description: The 2023 ETSU Elevates participants on the presentation stage.
As part of East Tennessee State University’s Founders Week (Oct. 7-12), the annual ETSU Elevates Pitch Competition will take on new significance this year, offering both a platform for innovative ideas to uplift the region and an opportunity for the community to come together in support of recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.
The pitch competition will take place on Monday, Oct. 7, at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the competition begins at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
This year’s competition will showcase eight student teams who have been partnering with local organizations since July to develop actionable plans addressing economic, social and environmental challenges.
“Since its founding in 1911, ETSU has been committed to improving the quality of life in the region, a mission that has never been more critical,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “In the wake of the devastating floods brought by Hurricane Helene, ETSU remains steadfast in its mission to uplift the people of the region. The ETSU Elevates Pitch Competition represents more than just great ideas—it is about harnessing the power of community to create lasting change. Our students and their community partners have risen to this challenge, and I encourage everyone to come out, support these pitches and learn more about how they can contribute to the region’s recovery.”
The students will present their pitches in front of a live audience and three judges.
The judges include Andy Dietrich, vice president and co-owner of Champion Chevrolet Cadillac; Melissa Roberts, executive director of the Appalachian Promise Alliance; and Aundrea Salyer, chief business development officer for the Kingsport Chamber's Office of Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship.
In addition to the $2,000 available for seed funding granted to each ETSU Elevates project, the projects are eligible for additional funding at the pitch events. Judges will award the ETSU Elevates first-, second- and third-place prizes and the audience will select the People’s Choice Award. ETSU Elevates will invest a total of $25,000 to address community needs.
“We received incredible support for last year’s ETSU Elevates Pitch Competition. We invite community members to join us as they are able and vote for their favorite project for the People’s Choice Award,” said Dr. Susan McCracken, vice provost for Community Engagement at ETSU. “The projects impact our community, our neighbors and our quality of life. They also allow our students to go beyond the walls of the classroom to make a difference through community-engaged learning.”
This year, the event will be livestreamed at etsu.edu/elevates.
The 2024 ETSU Elevates projects and their community partners include:
- Bike Layne: Student Layne Maddox partnered with the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association Inc. on a project that aims to increase bikeability within the region through higher participation and safer infrastructure.
- Continuing the Stories of Recovery: Student Kyah Alese Powers partnered with the Johnson City Recovery Center to secure funding for Recovery Community Centers, to educate legislators on these new start-ups and to allow for start-ups to replicate Johnson City Recovery Center’s model.
- My Health Compass: Student Morgan Blazer partnered with Appalachian Highlands Care Network on this patient-centered toolkit that seeks to enhance patients’ navigation of their health journey by improving health literacy.
- Level the Field: Student Skylar Mittelsteadt partnered with YMCA Kingsport on a project that aims to collect new and gently used sports gear and reallocate it to athletes in need.
- The Myla Project: Students Laura Head and Caitlyn Glover have partnered with YWCA Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to provide student parents with a community where they feel accepted, appreciated and supported in their journeys.
- Smile with NAT: Student Natalie White paired with Appalachian Miles for Smiles on a project that focuses on education on proper oral hygiene and dental services with young children in rural Appalachia.
- Staying Sustainable: Student Jolene Batie paired with Meet the Mountains/Visit JC to create a hands-on educational kit for K-12 students, teaching them how to reduce, reuse and recycle.
- Tri-FACETS: Student Matthew Gardenhour paired with RISE: Healthy for Life on a trauma-informed and experiential learning-based workshop curriculum that creates resources for those in the Appalachian community who wish to be informed on supporting marginalized sexual and gender identities.
Parking for the event is available in the Brinkley Center Parking Garage, located behind the Carnegie Hotel. To learn more, visit etsu.edu/elevates.
Since its inception in 1911, East Tennessee State University has been committed to improving the quality of life for the people of the region and beyond. Central to this mission is the belief that people come first. Bucs Rebuild Together, the university’s response to the devastation from Hurricane Helene in the region, reflects ETSU’s continuing commitment to supporting our communities in times of need. Through collaborative efforts, we are dedicated to helping rebuild, embodying our core values of service, excellence, and compassion. Learn more at ETSU.edu/response.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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