CISTN connects students to resources and helps remove barriers for at-risk students by helping them stay in school and on the road to graduation. The SuperGrant will allow five Metro Nashville public schools to continue partnering with CISTN and benefit from its services for students.
Leah Susi - Chief Development Officer of CISTN - says the SuperGrant is life changing for her organization, and like so many others, she has realized just how involved the Preds are in the community.
"It's being good neighbors," Susi said. "I think there's a lot of businesses and companies that don't care for the community around them, and the Predators are the farthest thing from that."
CISTN's goal is to assist students with multiple different options to help them not only throughout the school year, but at home as well. They supply students with mental health and trauma-informed interventions that alleviate emotional and behavioral challenges, enhance coping skills, improve student social-emotional well-being and, in turn, academic achievement.
One specific area that the SuperGrant will support is via the Warner Exchange, a way for families to earn incentives - such as household necessities for free - by sending their children to school.
Susi recognizes the SuperGrant program will not only help her organization, but many others throughout the Nashville area - a realization that the Preds work to empower the community in more ways than one.
"It's evident that philanthropy is a huge part of the Predators," Susi said. "So many community partners are able to benefit from [the SuperGrant], from those investment dollars, but then also, the volunteer time … The creativity that they have in how they give back and how they engage with the community is like nothing that I've ever experienced working with a professional team."
