Keisha Felton has only begun her journey to improve the lives of youths. She is a volunteer extraordinaire who founded the nonprofit, Project E3, with a mission of helping kids from low-income families attend summer camps in Nashville. She successfully served 26 kids from kindergarten through sixth grade in her first summer running Project E3.

There are many different organizations that serve children from low-income families, so why specifically summer camps? Keisha notes, “There’s a tendency to lose the information they’ve learned through the summer.” During that eight-week break, summer camps are a great way to keep kids active, engaged, thinking, and out of trouble. They also give kids an opportunity to keep in contact with friends or meet new friends.

It’s clear summer camps are highly beneficial for children; however, they are expensive. A week of camp in Nashville can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000. This is where Project E3 lends a hand. In its first summer, Project E3 focused on kids from one school and were able to send 26 students to different types of summer camps, including robotics, financial literacy, and sports. Keisha also notes having kids involved in different camps exposes them to different skills. “We may have a rocket scientist in the mix,” she says.

Keisha had aspired to create this nonprofit for many years. She had put the idea on the back burner, but she felt divinely compelled to do it. It took a lot of research, paperwork, getting a board in place, writing grant proposals, and a mountain of other tasks. She explains she was driven by her own experiences. When she was in high school, she had an opportunity to go to Europe. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” she says, “getting off the bus, getting on the plane… Seeing all the things. And I was like, ‘How can I give that?’ ” That is a great question. How does one give children opportunities for new experiences? With Project E3, Keisha is opening doors for youth who would otherwise miss out.

After this first summer, Keisha only hopes to improve and expand Project E3. She hopes to include transportation in her service next year. She also hopes to serve more schools and help more kids experience fulfilling summers. It is only the beginning for Project E3, and children in the Nashville community are fortunate to have Keisha dedicated to their achievements.

To learn more about Keisha and Project E3, listen to her podcast interview here.