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Dolly Parton's Dollywood will pay tuition costs for all employees to 'pursue a new dream'

dollywood covers college, dollywood tuition
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Dolly Parton in 2010.

Disneyland might be named the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but the employees at Dollywood can make an educated claim to fame of their own.

Herschend Enterprises, partner owner of Dollywood and the nation’s largest privately owned themed attractions operations, announced on Feb 8 that it would cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for employees to pursue further education.

Considering that the popular Smoky Mountains theme park currently has 11,000 employees (including seasonal and part-time workers) that is quite a feat.

The initiative, Herschend’s GROW U., offers more than 100 programs, many that focus on high-demand fields like business administration and leadership, culinary, finance, technology and marketing. The company will also provide employees up to $5,250 per year for additional programs in fields including engineering, hospitality, art design and human resources.

Needless to say, this kind of financial support can be life-changing.

Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend Enterprises, defines the investment as the company’s “love culture in action.”

The CEO added, “we care about our employees' personal and professional growth, because we believe that their futures should be grown with love, not loans.”

This kind of culture really does permeate. According to CNN, employees also receive access to Dollywood Family Healthcare Center, free meals for every work shift, and apprentice and leadership programs. According to the Washington Post, other corporations such as Chipotle and Best Buy make contributions to employee education, but it's only a fraction compared to Herschend GROW U.

Still, the fact that this is a growing trend feels promising. With more than 36 well-known companies already helping with tuition, and now with Herschend GROW U. making headlines, perhaps compassionate corporations are becoming the new standard.

The program launches Feb 24, but is already giving us something to smile about.

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Business

A whole new generation wants to work with their hands

True

As AI makes daily headlines (and robots take over), I’ve been thinking more about the future of human work and the value of craftsmanship. Craftsmanship, the human trait that enables us to care for and love the work we produce, especially in the built environment.

Even as we make advancements and increase efficiencies in technology, the built world desperately needs more people who care about craft and want to work with their hands.

In construction specifically, the demand for housing—especially affordable housing—and safer roads and bridges is only increasing. And over 40% of skilled workers will retire in the next 10 years. We need new craftspeople more than ever. And, fast.
That’s why we started MT Copeland: to capture the craftsmanship seen in the built world around us (our homes, our workplaces, our cities), and help anyone learn directly from experienced professionals. We help craftspeople teach the skills they use on the job every day, and inspire others to make a career move into skilled careers. Carpenters, entrepreneurs building homes, painters, and even first-time homeowners can now use methods from generations past to make projects better.

The attention to detail in drywall, painting, or cabinet making requires a unique combination of technical prowess, problem-solving abilities, and an artistic eye. It’s the kind of work made only possible by human touch. Just when it starts to feel like everything’s destined to be automated, remember: some things simply must be made by human hands.

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Joy

Conversation between mic'd up 3-yr-old and 4-yr-old is a masterclass in friendship

What if grownups got to know each other like this?

@katyrobinbird/Instagram

We can all take a page out of the preschool friendship-making handbook.

A lot of adults find it hard to make friends past a certain age, and science even confirms that forming friendship bonds as grownups is more challenging than when we were kids.

"Sociologists have kind of identified the ingredients that need to be in place for us to make friends organically, and they are continuous unplanned interaction and shared vulnerability," University of Maryland psychologist Marisa Franco told Boston NPR station, WBUR, adding that environments with those elements are harder to come by as adults.

"Continuous unplanned interaction" and "shared vulnerability" may sound daunting, but maybe we're just making it all too complicated.

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kids
Pop Culture

Paul 'Pee-Wee Herman' Reubens went above and beyond to help a fan going through divorce

"Shockingly, he responded with an inspirational message and asked me for my phone number."

via Daniel Benavides/Wikimedia Commons and Alan Light/Wikimedia Commons.

Paul Reubens at the premiere of "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday" and "Pee-Wee Herman" at the 60th Academy Awards.

One of the interesting things that has happened in the social media era is that after someone notable dies, some people come forward with stories about their generosity that no one has heard before. It’s especially common for those who used their fame to spread love and kindness.

One person who did that was Paul Reubens, the beloved comedian and actor best known for creating the Pee-Wee Herman character. Reubens died on July 30 after a six-year secret battle with cancer.

In the wake of his death, Mario Alejandro shared how Reubens reached out to him during a difficult time for himself and his daughter. Alejandro’s story has been seen over 5.4 million times on X (formerly known as Twitter).

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celebrity
Internet

Video explains why it's so hard for the average guy to find love on dating apps

Men, the odds are not in your favor.

via Memeable Data/YouTube

The difference between men and women on dating apps is significant.

Dating apps are challenging for the average guy because they can be a big blow to their self-esteem. They can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression because of the heightened competition on the apps and the pressure to present a perfect image.

A study out of the University of North Texas found that male Tinder users reported lower levels of satisfaction with their faces and bodies and lower levels of self-worth than those who aren't on the dating app.

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relationships
Pop Culture

A heartfelt plea to put down the phone and remember what makes moviegoing so special

A lack of phone etiquette runs amok in many places, but in a theater…it hits different.

Canva

Let's make some movie magic.

When streaming entered the picture, movie theaters began making their slow death march into obscurity. Then, when COVID hit and being entertained from the comfort of your own couch became more mainstream than ever, it seemed as though the lights of the marquee might dim for good, casting moviegoing into a bygone era.

But now, in an epic plot twist, seats are being filled once again. Perhaps the box office hasn’t fully bounced back, but there is a marked surge in interest. With a huge uptick in tickets being purchased not just for franchise blockbusters but original stories in a variety of genres, cinema very well may be approaching its second Golden Age. Director Francis Ford Coppola seems to think so, and he knows his stuff, I reckon.
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community
Pop Culture

Woman gives fascinating history of how the Southern accent is left over from British ancestors

"According to linguists, we're the only people left in the United States who generally still sound like our ancestors."

Maxim|Canva and Mississippi Memaw|TikTok

Woman explains the history of the American Southern accent.

Even if you've never set foot in the American South, chances are you've heard a Southern accent...or at least Hollywood's attempt at a Southern accent. Thanks to actors like Matthew McConaughey,Reese Witherspoon, Andie McDowell and Morgan Freeman, authentic Southern accents can be heard on the big screen without the cringey forced nature of people pretending to be Southerners.

But misconceptions around Southern accents and perceived unintelligence continues to run rampant, in large part due to the portrayal of Southerners in movies and television shows. While the stereotypes have been reigned in over the years, many folks grew up watching the "Beverly Hillbillies" or "Hillbilly Moments" from the "Amanda Bynes Show."

So, it's no wonder when a woman was giving a rundown of living in the small town of Purvis, Mississippi, someone mocked her accent and told her to "speak English." Instead of getting upset, Mississippi Memaw gave the commenter a fascinating history of southern accents while showing some of the best parts of Mississippi.

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southern accents
Pop Culture

'Nobody wants to hear your video': Fed-up pilot berates rude passengers with brutal honesty

This feels cathartic.

via Colin Brown/Flickr

An American Airlines plane at takeoff

A recent poll from the American Bar Association found that 85% of respondents believe that civility is worse than it was a decade ago, while only 8% said it's improved.

Why do people believe that civility is on the decline? Twenty-nine percent blame social media, 24% said the media and 19% said it's because of public officials.

A pilot on American Airlines has had it with “rude” and “selfish” passengers on his plane, so he gave an earful to anyone who would listen, and it was captured for posterity by comedian Anna Leah Maltezos. The video must have been cathartic for a lot of people because it has over 4.4 million views on Instagram.

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airlines
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