Preds Foundation Awards SuperGrant to Nashville Adult Literacy Council

Nashville, Tenn. (November 22, 2021) - The Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub (the "Predators Foundation") and SmileDirectClub, the next generation oral care company with the first medtech platform for teeth straightening, jointly announced today that the Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC) will be presented with a SuperGrant totaling $70,000 on Monday, Nov. 22 at Bridgestone Arena as the Predators take on the Anaheim Ducks. A Nashville-based nonprofit, the Nashville Adult Literacy Council helps teach reading, writing and English-speaking skills to adults. This SuperGrant will help fund the NALC's virtual tutor program, program licenses and the ability to hire a new staff member to help run the program and directly impact our community's literacy rate.

"We couldn't be more excited about this SuperGrant from the Nashville Predators Foundation and SmileDirectClub," Nashville Adult Literacy Council CEO Kim Karesh said. "Families come to NALC in times of transition, and literacy is a skill that empowers them to learn what they need so they can improve their lives. As one student said to me, 'when you can read, you can learn anything.' During the pandemic, we had to discontinue some of our tutoring programs, and this grant is helping us bring back tutoring in a virtual format. While we've seen great success this year with our online classes, we've really been missing the personal connections that happen between our volunteers and our learners. Nothing can replace the friendships that are formed, and we can't wait to get back to it."
Founded in 1982, the NALC is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that aides about 500 adult learners and works with hundreds of volunteer tutors each year. The NALC's vision for all members of the Nashville community is to achieve a confident, healthy and independent adult life through literacy, with a mission for all adults in the city to learn the reading, writing and English-speaking skills they need for a better life.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NALC has offered literacy classes virtually. Despite a successful transition to this method, the organization also has many learners who would benefit from the more personalized approach that one-on-one tutoring allows. Using SuperGrant funds, the NALC will continue to bolster its virtual tutoring program to create more one-on-one learning opportunities; master their online curriculum by purchasing additional licensing; obtain more impactful materials for tutors and learning; and create a new position to further improve the program.
"Through our research, we learned that one in eight Nashville adults is unable to read, which is a staggering statistic," Predators Vice President of Community Relations Rebecca King said. "With the opportunity to support NALC, we can help not only change this statistic but also change the trajectory of every life that they impact, along with their future generations. The ripple effect of this grant will benefit our community for many, many years to come. After meeting several adult learners, we saw the confidence and pride this program brought them and the love and compassion they have for their tutors who have taught them so much. We are so proud to align ourselves with this amazing organization."
"SmileDirectClub is proud to partner with the Nashville Predators Foundation to kick off the third season of the SuperGrant program by supporting the important work of the Nashville Adult Literacy Countil," SmileDirectClub Chief Marketing Officer John Sheldon said. "While your smile can convey so much, we know that learning to read and write is a very important transition and incredible confidence builder for an adult. We are thrilled that learning will be made easier through the virtual one-on-one tutoring program that the grant is funding."
The NALC has earned eight national awards and two regional awards for outstanding program, staff dedication and student achievement. Since its founding, the organization has also offered citizenship classes, specialized classes pertaining to workplace literacy, GED classes, English-skills for adult immigrants and more. Inquiries about volunteer opportunities can be sent to [email protected], and donations of any dollar amount can be made at
NashvilleLiteracy.org
.
For additional information, fans can visit the
Nashville Adult Literacy Council website
, follow

or

on social media or
click here for details
regarding the SuperGrant program.
Introduced during the 2019-20 season as part of the groundbreaking partnership between the Predators Foundation and Nashville-based SmileDirectClub, multiple SuperGrants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 will be awarded each season to Middle Tennessee community organizations. Funding will be allocated to support programming or the completion of largescale projects that empower people during times of life transitions. Including the funds awarded to
Home Street Home Ministries
,
Monroe Harding
,
Retrieving Independence
and
Maple Built
, $200,000 in financial support was distributed by the SuperGrant program last season.
ABOUT THE NASHVILLE PREDATORS FOUNDATION EMPOWERED BY SMILEDIRECTCLUB
The Predators Foundation has partnered with Nashville-based SmileDirectClub in an ongoing effort to meet educational, social, health and cultural needs throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The Predators Foundation is devoted to using its platform and influence from its affiliation with professional sports to serve the needs of the community by offering unique resources and financial support to local youth-oriented organizations. Since its inception in 1998, the Predators Foundation has awarded over $7.9 million in grants to the greater Nashville community. In 2020 alone, the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena, Ford Ice Centers and Predators Foundation drove approximately $5.5 million in life-changing funds to assist a wide variety of relief efforts, non-profit organizations and individuals in need across the Nashville community and surrounding areas. To learn more about the Nashville Predators Foundation empowered by SmileDirectClub and to see a list of upcoming events, visit NashvillePredators.com/Foundation.
ABOUT SMILEDIRECTCLUB
SmileDirectClub, Inc. ("SmileDirectClub") is an oral care company and creator of the first medtech platform for teeth straightening. Through its cutting-edge telehealth technology and vertically integrated model, SmileDirectClub is revolutionizing the oral care industry, offering consumers the ability to get clinically safe and effective treatment but without the 3x markup. SmileDirectClub's mission is to democratize access to a smile each and every person loves by making it affordable and convenient for everyone. SmileDirectClub is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and operates in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, France and Mexico. For more information, please visit SmileDirectClub.com.