Highlights
NRT has worked with a variety of clients over the past 30 years giving careful consideration to leadership commitment, the project's purpose, and whether or not the work reflects our underlying philosophy, which is to improve the lives of children and adults who have been shortchanged by society. Below are some highlights of our past work:
Columbus Metropolitan Library 2020 Vision Building Project
“Just wanted to let you know I received notification today that I won the bid . . . I'm very excited to have this opportunity and very grateful for all you do with outreach in our community. There is no way we would have this opportunity if it wasn't for companies like NRT & Associates. Thanks for all you do." –- A Local Minority Contractor
In the final phase of building five new libraries and renovating three, the Columbus Metropolitan Library project has exceeded its diversity and inclusion goals. While many construction projects profess the same, the CML documentation of awards is substantive—great effort was made to include and then support smaller companies that had not been afforded the same opportunity in the past. On one library alone, two minority contractors were awarded contracts in excess of 1.5 million.
This project’s diversity and inclusion efforts have gone beyond the norm by engaging the community to address the underutilization of minority contractors and the barriers they face—most significantly, contract payment, which can take as much as 90 days to receive on some projects.
The need for a mobilization program (to cover startup costs, including equipment and supplies) and capital funding for ongoing support (to cover, for example, payroll every two weeks) is a must. Stemming from this project, a mobilization program and a capital fund was established and funded locally.
The project also worked with Columbus State Community College to create a Construction Skills Training course, which graduated 10 students, the majority of whom were successfully placed in construction jobs within two weeks. In addition, job interest forms have been made available in every library location for job seekers and referrals are made to contractors in need of workers to help address the critical labor shortage that the construction industry is now facing.
Advocating for African-American Children with Learning Differences
"You are an amazing woman whose decade long efforts building the AACLD have created a powerful organization with the ability to effectively advocate/lobby on behalf of all children with learning disabilities, in addition to developing best practices for implementation in every community across the country." –- Miami Training Participant
Nancy R. Tidwell, launched the National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities (AACLD) in 2000 with the purpose of increasing awareness in minority communities about learning differences and promoting parent advocacy. The AACLD was the only national organization that focused solely on the education of African American children with learning disabilities and learning differences. It served thousands of African American families throughout the United States. In addition, the AACLD served the broader public by responding to an extraordinary number of requests for information nationwide from a very diverse audience including teachers, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, social service agencies, psychologists, hospitals, churches, lawyers, parent groups, and other organizations.
For 15 years, the AACLD was a leading national advocacy and training organization that worked with families across the U.S. to improve educational outcomes for their children. A major university is now exploring the possibility of re-opening the organization on its campus.