Stanton school to become first Ford community center outside Detroit

A former Stanton school building is getting a $2.1 million renovation to become the first U.S. community center opened by the Ford Motor Company outside of Detroit. The Stanton Ford Community Center will be the base for Ford’s philanthropic operations in West Tennessee, funding a revitalization of the 3,576-square-foot former school building. The public-private partnership will be headed by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development with Ford providing funding and programming. There are six such community centers around the world including two in Detroit, one in Thailand, one in Romania, one in South Africa, and one in the U.K. Previous Ford community centers have held community events, helped with tax preparation, served as foodbanks, and supported local students and entrepreneurs.