Quarterly News & Updates

December 2024

TSLF to Award $1000 grants to Arlington ISD CTE Teachers through its Teach Tourism Grant Program

The Teach Tourism Grant Program, a Teach Tourism Initiative, will provide educational and financial resources for secondary school teachers who teach tourism, culinary arts, sports marketing, and kinesiology classes in Arlington ISD. The grants can be used to fund curriculum support, projects, and programs.

By pursuing and effectively utilizing these grants, educators can enhance their teaching of tourism, contribute to better student learning experiences, and support the broader goals of tourism education.

Teachers who focus on tourism education can help foster student engagement, support innovative projects, and improve educational outcomes.

Tourism supports nearly 15,000 jobs in our community and there are many jobs that remain unfilled. A skilled workforce is essential to the continued growth of tourism in Arlington. Tourism jobs are upwardly mobile and can provide career opportunities for youth from economically disadvantaged communities.

The grants will be awarded to teachers in January 2025

For more information about the Teach Tourism Initiative, contact Mary German, mary@travelandsportslegacyfoundation.org.

Teach Tourism Grant Program Sponsors

Aziz Kobty, Prince Lebanese Grill, joins the TSLF Board of Directors

Mr. Kobty joined the TSLF Board of Directors in October. In partnership with TSLF, the Kobty family created the Francis Kobty Hospitality Scholarship Program for TCC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management students in 2021. The scholarship awards up to $5000 to an Arlington ISD or Mansfield ISD graduate enrolled in hospitality management or culinary arts at Tarrant County College.

TSLF to host a Community Appreciation Luncheon

TSLF, in partnership with TCC, will host a Community Appreciation Luncheon on February 26, 2025, at Tarrant County College. The event will showcase the TCC Southeast Campus’ new kitchen facilities. Food will be prepared by TCC’s culinary arts students and served by hospitality management students.

TSLF Announces the Texas Live! Hospitality and Culinary Scholarship

The TSLF scholarship award has been renamed the Texas Live! Hospitality and Culinary Scholarship. “We are pleased to rename the scholarship after Texas Live!, a company that has supported the TSLF scholarship program since its inception,” said Kecia Mays, TSLF’s board president. "We value our partnership with Texas Live! and look forward to their continued support."

Up to six $750 scholarships will be awarded per semester to TCC Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts students. Over $3000 in scholarships were awarded to students in the fall of 2024.The spring awards will be announced in early January.

TSLF Receives a Cotton Bowl Foundation Grant

TSLF was awarded a Cotton Bowl Foundation grant recently in support of the foundation’s Sports Careers Pathways Program.

The Cotton Bowl Foundation’s generous grant will support TSLF’s yearlong sports program for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County members. In partnership with the UT Arlington Kinesiology Department, the program will provide underserved youth with opportunities to explore pathways to sports-related careers while benefiting from physical activity, leadership development, and team building. Over 200 students will have the opportunity to participate in various facets of our sports program.

TSLF is one of nine North Texas organizations to receive a grant from the Cotton Bowl Foundation in 2024-25.

The Cotton Bowl Foundation, the official foundation of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, serves North Texas by supporting programs that improve opportunities for underserved youth with the vision of making an impact on those who play the game, attend the game, and support the game.

TSLF to Celebrate National Career and Technical Education Month in February

February is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. TSLF will celebrate CTE programs by inviting tourism leaders to speak to CTE Hospitality Services, Culinary Arts, Sports Marketing, and Kinesiology students about travel and sports career opportunities. Presentations will be held throughout the month of February.

National CTE Month raises awareness of CTE’s role in preparing students for college and careers and celebrates the achievements of the CTE community.

Support TSLF through the Kroger Community Rewards Program

Kroger shoppers can support TSLF with every purchase at Kroger. To sign up, visit kroger.com. Once you are logged into your Kroger account, search for the Travel & Sports Legacy Foundation either by name or BV311 and then click enroll. New users will need to create an account which requires some basic information, a valid email address and a rewards card.

Fun and Growth Are Synonymous with Arlington Travel and Sports Jobs

by Brent DeRaad, President & CEO, Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau

I highly encourage DFW Metroplex students and adults who may be looking for a career change to consider opportunities in Arlington’s tourism and sports industries. Many of these jobs are very enjoyable and there are often clear growth opportunities in these fields.

Arlington attracted 15.6 million visitors in 2023 who spent $2.8 billion. Nearly 15,000 people are employed in Arlington to serve these guests. Based on our conversations with Arlington tourism businesses, though, we believe there are least 1,000 unfilled jobs that, if filled, would allow local companies to provide better service and sell more hotel rooms, meals, retail items, and more.

The nonprofit Travel & Sports Legacy Foundation (TSLF) is proud to partner with the University of Texas Arlington, Tarrant County College, and the Arlington Independent School District on initiatives to interest and train people to fill local sports and tourism jobs. TSLF’s outreach has also extended to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County via a grant from the Cotton Bowl Foundation.

Scholarships, grants, mentorship and more are available through TSLF. The organization was founded by Mary German, who continues to serve as its Executive Director, in addition to serving as Chief Operating Officer for the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau and as Administrator of the Arlington Tourism Public Improvement District.

Mary’s passion for helping underserved youth and adults find a pathway to travel and sports jobs is shared by the TSLF board she has assembled. That 11-member board, which is chaired by Kecia Mays, with assistance from Immediate Past Chair Michael Cinatl, is aiding Mary with implementing programs that are training students and teachers alike about the types of tourism and sports jobs available and how to pursue them.

I don’t want to mislead anyone. Entry-level travel and sports jobs may feature long hours and lower pay. Talented people, who work hard, though, are often rewarded quickly with promotions, better pay, and the chance to continue that growth to the point where they are building lucrative careers.

I encourage you to learn more about TSLF by visiting its website at travelandsportslegacyfoundation.org. If fun and growth are terms you want associated with your career path, travel and sports jobs are something you should seriously consider.

Stay connected to TSLF through Facebook, LinkedIn, and the TSLF website to learn more about travel and sports management programs for high school and college students.

Thank You Sponsors!

The Travel & Sports Legacy Foundation is the 501c3 nonprofit charitable arm of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. TSLF connects the community with great careers, tourism enterprises with talented people, and the tourism industry with a more sustainable and employable future.

The Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau markets and develops the city as a premier sports, business, and leisure entertainment destination to achieve new tourism spending benefits for the visitor industry, the community, and its residents.