Grants to Enactus Help Women, Children Lead Healthier Lives

The Southern Arkansas University Enactus organization recently earned two $1,500 grants that are being used to promote active lifestyles in area youth and to help women escaping harmful environments find employment.

Children at the Magnolia Boys & Girls Club received Sqord Activity Pods after school on Feb. 23 through SAU’s “Get Active With Enactus!” program.

SAU Enactus partnered with the Club to implement a healthy-living initiative that encourages kids to become more intentional about activity in their daily lives. Keeping fit while doing so in fun and creative ways – as well as learning more about healthy food choices – is a goal of the program.

SAU Enactus received a $1,500 grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help fund the project through the Foundation’s Students for Health initiative. With the funds, Enactus purchased each participant in the project a Sqord Activity Pod, which is an activity tracker worn on the wrist. The trackers are student-friendly and provide Enactus the ability to monitor activity levels. Enactus can gather data both individually and collectively from information stored by the trackers, and monitor the direct impact the project has on the students.

Additionally, SAU Enactus identified a need at the local Women’s Domestic Violence Shelter and was awarded a $1,500 grant from Walmart for a development project. The shelter, which is an outreach of Compassion’s Foundation Living Waters program, helps women and children escaping harmful environments. The grant will be used to purchase computers, a printer, desk and office chair for the shelter. With the aid of local businesses and University professors, SAU Enactus is creating training videos for the shelter. The short video series will be accompanied by training manuals and help residents with resume preparation, interview skills, job search techniques, and self-esteem.

In addition, SAU Enactus, along with the Workforce Development Office of Columbia County, will host a one-day seminar targeting workforce development for women. This will help women in the labor force sharpen their employable skills set.

The David F. Rankin College of Business and SAU Enactus team are grateful to Walmart for the grant to help women in Columbia County.

Enactus is an international organization connecting student, academic and business leaders through entrepreneurial-based projects that empower people to transform opportunities into sustainable progress for themselves and their communities. To find out more or to get involved, contact the chapter adviser, Sheryl Edwards, at saedwards@saumag.edu or call 870-235-5054.