A Generous Life- Education Cohort
Publication Date
2026
Presentation Length
20 minutes
College
Interdisciplinary Studies & Global Education
Department
Honors Program
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Mona Ivey- Soto
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
The inaugural cohort of A Generous Life invited students to explore what it truly means to live a life marked by holistic generosity—not just in theory, but in tangible, transformative practice. In this year-long course, a community donor provided the students with $50,000 to partner with a local organization creatively empowering low-income students in Nashville through holistic education. In order to better understand the issue area, the students engaged with guest speakers, conducted individual research and literature reviews, and interviewed experts in child development and education. After developing a theory of change based on this primary and secondary research, the researchers developed a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be disseminated into the Nashville nonprofit landscape. Through a thorough evaluation process, the cohort of students selected one organization to receive the $50,000 grant. This presentation will highlight the development of the RFP, the methods of selection, the implementation of the partnership between the cohort and the grant recipient, and the many ways that generosity can be embodied in community engagement.
Recommended Citation
Cole, Paige E.; Johns, Elizabeth M.; King, Jake G.; Encalade, Abigail B.; Levin, Emma L.; Edelbrock, Avery J.; Ben-Judah, Aryanna D.; and Howe, Nicole C., "A Generous Life- Education Cohort" (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 1107.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/1107
