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PCA – Tampa Bay Receives $15,000 Grant from Truist Foundation

08.23.2021

Tampa, FL, August 2021 – This summer, PCA – Tampa Bay received a $15,000 grant from Truist Foundation in support of its Character Development Program that focuses on elementary and middle-aged youth.

“This support from Truist Foundation means a lot to our organization, as it supports the development of new curriculum,” said Mason Brady, executive director at PCA-Tampa Bay, “We are thankful to have long-term partners such as Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation that have valued our program since the start and have shown interest in diving deeper into PCA’s principles. Because of Truist Foundation, we can strengthen our relationships, further impact the community, and help meet current needs of youth in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties.”

PCA-Tampa Bay incorporated the new curriculum for youth participating in summer camps in Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation. Additionally, the updated Character Development Program will continue to be implemented in all 12 after-school programs across Hillsborough County with a majority of locations serving low-income households.

New lessons in the program take a deeper dive into PCA’s main principles, which focus on filling emotional tanks, always putting in maximum effort and respect for teammates. Leadership staff in the Parks were trained on new lessons of growth mindset, goal-setting, bullying and how to effectively connect with youth on the concepts. In addition, the new material further fosters the positive culture that parks and recreation locations aim to create. By incorporating more meaningful conversations about character, staff and youth can better connect, have an enjoyable experience and learn life lessons.

"Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, and I’m very excited to see what our partnership will be able to accomplish," said Lex Smith, managing director at Truist Wealth, on behalf of Truist Foundation. "PCA’s mission is uniquely focused on inspiring the youth of today to become the leaders of tomorrow."

About Positive Coaching Alliance


As a catalyst for a positive youth sports culture, Positive Coaching Alliance provides research-based training and resources for coaches, parents, athletes, and leaders to ensure a positive youth development experience for ALL kids, in all communities across the U.S., through sports. PCA ensures sports are ‘done right’ with programming that is research-based and designed to have impact at three levels in a youth sports organization or school:

• YOUTH experience improved life skills and character development.

• COACHES become more positive and increase their focus on using sports to teach life lessons.

• YOUTH SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS see their cultures become more positive and everyone involved has more fun.

PCA believes that all youth can benefit from a positive, inclusive sports culture that develops social and emotional skills, molds character, and prepares them for competition and life. In more than two decades of work, PCA expanded from a small local nonprofit to a strong, nationwide organization that provides programming in all 50 states, reaching thousands of organizations around the country and positively impacting millions of youth athletes every year. PCA has now partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, reaching over 20 million youth.

About Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on leadership development, economic mobility, thriving communities, and educational equity. Learn more at Truist.com/Purpose/Truist-Foundation.