At Propeller, serving our local communities has been a focus since our founding. Community is core to our culture. We’re committed to giving back to the communities we live and work in with time, strategic thinking, and support for nonprofit partners. Through our Uplift program, we leverage our people's business acumen and problem-solving skills to support nonprofit organizations.

As we approach the end of the year, a time that many of us focus on giving, we reached out to a few of our Uplift partners to learn more about their mission, the work they’re doing, and what seasonal giving means to them. Today, we’re featuring a conversation with Campbell Glenn Garonzik the Executive Director at Portland Tennis & Education in Portland, OR.

Q: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us! Can you tell us about the mission of Portland Tennis & Education and your role within the organization?

Portland Tennis & Education (PT&E) is a tuition-free after school and summer program for K through 12 students and their families in St. Johns. We are built on a vision of Portland where all youth have equal access to a fair learning and playing field. PT&E enables underserved youth to thrive and strengthens their community through academics, athletics, life skills, and family engagement. Since our founding 25 years ago, 100% of PT&E 12th graders have graduated high school in four years and gone on to pursue the post-secondary path of their choice. 

As Executive Director at PT&E, I work with an amazing team — and in partnership with kids and families — to bring that mission to life, while also changing the narrative around a sport traditionally considered to be "reserved" only for the wealthy elite.

Q: Where can the community see your team’s work in action?

The best way to learn about PT&E is to come and see our program in action! We love visitors and are always eager for new folks to hit the courts and help the kids in the classroom. You can reach out to [email protected] to line up a visit. From home, I hope you'll check out the video of recent PT&E graduate Leilani on our website. She's a rockstar with a super bright future ahead as an engineer, and her story is a testament to the power of bringing together a brilliant young person, a committed family, and a program like PT&E to support along the way. Finally, you can find us most actively on Instagram (@ptande_stjohns).

Q: We’d love to hear about a program you’re particularly proud of.

I'm incredibly proud of Serving Up Success, our nine-week summer program designed to prevent the learning loss seen too frequently when kids' minds and bodies aren't engaged during the summer months. COVID widened already wide gaps between students at under-resourced schools and their peers with access to more resources, and it's no surprise that we're still seeing the impact of social isolation, learning on screens, and missing out on years of developmentally necessary movement and play. Serving Up Success aims to reverse those negative impacts, providing full-day programming focused on hands-on academics, tennis instruction, life skills and character, and community engagement. All the while, families of students enrolled in PT&E are able to work and provide for their families while their kids are in a safe, productive, and healthy environment.

Q: We know many nonprofits are supported by individual donors. Can you tell us the impact seasonal giving has on PT&E? 

Seasonal giving is HUGE for a program like PT&E. We rely entirely on the generosity of donors and our public tennis patrons (more on that below!) to keep our doors open and remain tuition-free. Each year we cross our fingers that people will be as generous as they have been in years past. In response to greater need than ever before, our goal for 2023 is to grow to serve 100 students year-round — a 50% increase in impact since pre-COVID. Year-end giving carries extra weight for us this year, as our November and December revenue will determine our ability to expand our program — which we know works and has for 25 years — to more deserving kids and families. 

Q: Anything else you think our readers should know?

When students aren't onsite at our home in St. Johns, we offer low-cost, non-membership-based tennis and pickleball to the public and all revenue from our three-court tennis facility goes straight to our nonprofit. If you're a current or aspiring tennis or pickleball player, we'd love to have you come to take lessons with us or rent a court. Every dollar that comes into our public tennis program creates opportunities for awesome young people to thrive.

# About Uplift

Serving our local communities has been a focus since our founding. This commitment to community and corporate responsibility reflects the shared values of our employees. Through our Uplift program, our people can do good work in their communities and make a lasting impact by leveraging their business acumen and problem-solving skills to support nonprofit partners. We uplift organizations through pro bono strategy, professional development, and direct service. 

We’re always seeking ways to engage with our local communities. Whether you need help solving a complex problem with pro bono project support, seek volunteers for a project or event, or would benefit from brief mentorship — the Uplift team is devoted to supporting our communities. Reach out to the Uplift team to learn more.