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PENCIL’s 20th anniversary A Little Night of Music

The 20th anniversary of A Little Night of Music was our best yet! More than 400 guests gathered at the Grand Ole Opry House to enjoy specialty cocktails and tasty food truck fare before finding their seats on the stage. Anticipation for this always sold-out event ran exceptionally high, and months of speculation came to an extremely satisfying end when Creative Artists Agency, our Presenting Sponsor and event founder, revealed the identities of the two surprise performers. Read more.

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Meet Dana Morrow, PENCIL Volunteer Extraordinaire

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we at PENCIL are truly grateful for every Partner, business, and individual who chooses to share their time, talent, and treasure with us. You make an impact in the lives of thousands of Metro students every year.

One person who singlehandedly influenced the lives of more than 1,000 students is Dana Morrow. He managed Stansell Electric’s PENCIL Partnership from 2014 to 2023, and during those years, he committed countless hours to mentoring students. Now retired, he continues to volunteer in the DG PENCIL Box and through events posted to PENCIL Connect. Read more.

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MYSTERY CELEBRITY TO PERFORM AT PENCIL’S SIGNATURE FUNDRAISER

With great excitement, we share the details of PENCIL’s upcoming A Little Night of Music fundraiser, presented in collaboration with Creative Artists Agency.

On Wednesday, April 24, business and community leaders from across Nashville will come together at the Grand Ole Opry House to celebrate 20 years of A Little Night of Music, PENCIL’s signature fundraiser. Anticipation always runs high for this popular tradition, but this year it’s more so than usual. In recognition of this landmark anniversary, Presenting Sponsor, event founder, and leading entertainment and sports agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), is keeping the performer’s identity a secret until the moment they appear on stage. Read more…

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Meet our 2024 A Little Night of Music Co-chairs 

Anticipation is running extraordinarily high for this year’s A Little Night of Music. When we return to the Grand Ole Opry House on Wednesday, April 24, it will mark the 20th anniversary of PENCIL’s signature fundraiser. And Creative Artists Agency, our Presenting Sponsor and founder of this special event, is only intensifying the excitement by keeping the performer’s identity an absolute secret from everyone, even PENCIL!

So, while we all wait with bated breath to see who will show up on the Opry stage, we want to introduce you to our amazing co-chairs – Kfir Alexandroni, Kia Goodwin, and Ana Schwager. Read more.

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Tutoring in action

Quinn Garrett, one of our Connected Literacy tutors, worked with a first-grade student (we’ll call him J) who initially came to sessions unable to easily understand words, get frustrated, and breakdown in tears. “I can’t read! I can’t read!” he often said. Quinn taught him how to break words down into digestible pieces, first sounding out the letters and then turning them into blocks of sounds. Read more.

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2023 Principal for a Day – Recap

PENCIL welcomed more than 300 participants to its annual Principal for a Day experience. Across the district, 130 MNPS principals provided enthusiastic community members with a behind-the-scenes look at their schools. The memorable experience concluded with a lively luncheon at Lipscomb University’s Shinn Center. See photos for the 2023 event.

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2023 Back to School Breakfast

On August 24, 2023, PENCIL successfully celebrated its sixth annual Back to School Breakfast fundraiser, presented by Elliott Davis. Check out the photos from the event.

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