The MBA students successfully implemented two back-to-back projects for the school. They hosted a Family Night that included sessions for the parents on financial planning, college education and legal assistance. The MBA students entertained the children with games, coloring and reading. 

MBA students also raised money to buy Jolly Ranchers, which the teachers use to encourage and reward the students during the annual standardized testing week. The MBAs met their goal to provide 15,000 pieces of candy, then paid it forward by donating $400 additional money raised to a group of undergraduate students in a leadership class that put on a Career Day at Portland. With the help of the proceeds from the MBA donation, every child got a motivational t-shirt.

The projects were part of the Elevate Portland Initiative, which the college launched in 2015 as a way to help give back to the community. Portland, which is ranked second (out of 172 schools) on the Jefferson County Public School Need Index, is part of UofL’s Signature Partnership Initiative.

“It has been inspiring to watch our students pour time and effort into the Elevate program,” said marketing professor Beth Davis-Sramek, COB’s head of diversity and community outreach.  “Most MBA students are working full time and going to school at night, so to see them pay it forward and be an example to our undergraduates is amazing. Ultimately, we want all of our students to be a force for good in their communities.”

Finch, who works with the department of early childhood and elementary education and is a supervisor of methods and student teachers at Portland, gave the teachers a tour of the school, answered questions and provided information on the UofL-Portland partnership.

The Israeli educators were curious to learn more about public education in the United States and asked questions about curriculum, instructional methods, and assessment.

“Israel models its education system after that of the United States. We are about two years behind what you do here, including accountability,” reported one of the visiting teachers.

Finch has conducted research on multicultural education and diversity in schools and he volunteered to host the teacher visit in collaboration with administrators at Portland.

The 5^th graders from Portland Elementary School visited UofL’s College of Business that day to glimpse what higher education is all about.

They took mini classes in several subjects, including art, study abroad and business. In an engineering class, Timothy Gornet of the Rapid Prototyping Center showed them how a 3D printer works. In science class, they made slime (and got to take it home in a plastic bag).

They even went to the main Belknap Campus dining hall and ate with some UofL athletes, who amiably posed for pictures as the kids dined on burgers, fries, pizza and ice cream in waffle cones. At one long table, members of the men’s soccer team gave their full attention to a pint-sized, bespectacled boy. Elsewhere, football player Trumaine Washington fetched soda for the kids while basketball player Chinanu Onuaku smiled for the cameras with star-struck, wide-eyed children.

“This place is awesome!” exclaimed one girl, who vowed to one day be a UofL student.

The field trip was organized by students in Christy Burge’s honors leadership class. The students decided their required service project should build upon the Elevate Portland Initiative, the College of Business service program that is focusing on Portland Elementary School. Since the fall, students, faculty and staff from the college have donated warm clothing, snacks and tablet PCs to the West Louisville elementary school, which is part of UofL’s Signature Partnership Initiative.

Other students who pitched in included members of the cheerleading team, who taught the students the “C-A-R-D-S” cheer, and basketball players Deng Adel and Ryan McMahon, who joined Onuaku later in the day at the Student Recreation Center to shoot some hoops with the children.

In addition to putting together the field trip, the honors students received $1,800 in donations, allowing them to purchase school supplies, shoes, shirts and slacks for the Portland students. Leftover cash was donated to the school.

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The students at Portland Elementary have been adopted by the College of Business in a program called the Elevate Portland Initiative. Since the fall, students, faculty and staff from the college have donated warm clothing, snacks and tablet PCs to the West Louisville elementary school, which is part of UofL’s Signature Partnership Initiative.

During the field trip, the 5^th graders will take mini classes, go on campus tours, meet with athletes at the Student Recreation Center and eat lunch at the main Belknap Campus dining hall, the Ville Grill. COB students have donated lunch swipes to the children.

The day begins at 9:30 a.m. with the students’ gathering in the Horn Auditorium at the College of Business.