NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After more than two decades without an upgrade, teachers at Cumberland Elementary in Nashville are starting the new school year with a freshly fixed-up teachers' lounge thanks to some funding from Crayola and Walmart.
Long-time Cumberland Elementary educator Chriseni Pulse applied for and won a competitive grant last winter during Crayola Creativity Week.
Cumberland Elementary was one of just 24 schools selected nationwide out of 8,000 eligible schools for the $5,000 makeover from Crayola and Walmart.
It was also the only school in Tennessee to receive the honor.
The teachers' lounge had remained unchanged for over 20 years until this summer's transformation.
"It just felt really drab in here, but now it's just like these pops of color and it's bright," said Pulse, an MSAP curriculum specialist at Cumberland Elementary.
Crayola provided $3,000 in Walmart gift cards for furniture and supplies, plus an additional $1,000 worth of goods.
Walmart contributed an extra $1,000 and supplied volunteer labor to complete the renovation.
Walmart also stocked the lounge with drinks, snacks, cleaning supplies, and more.
Kelli Drinkard from Walmart said they worked closely with the school to fulfill their vision.
"They told us kind of what they wanted and we worked together to make it happen for them," said Kelli Drinkard, market people partner for Walmart in Nashville.
Walmart employees volunteered their time to prepare the lounge for the upcoming school year and provided care packages for the teachers.
"I wanted to give them a care package because I really think that teachers are overlooked at all the extra they have to do to get ready," Drinkard said.
Pulse has been an educator at Cumberland Elementary for decades.
"I chose this school because of the inner city, wanting to help the youth here," Pulse said.
The renovation represents the fulfillment of a long-held dream for Pulse.
Do you have an interesting, positive story about K-12 education and educators to share? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
This story was reported on-air by Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Coles verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Music City is built on the talents of songwriters - and I can guarantee you've never seen a better collaboration than this! You'll be cheering and crying... and glad you took time to watch this story. Enjoy!
- Carrie Sharp
