The
Leona Tiny
Hawkins Foundation
What We Do
At The LTH Foundation
Undergrad
The Storykeepers Fellowship
Spring 2025
Dallas, TX
Community
Film Screenings & Outreach
Dallas Area Assisted Living Homes
The Leona Tiny Hawkins Foundation is a nonprofit organization established to empower, educate, and elevate underrepresented voices through the art of storytelling. Our mission is to support emerging and diverse creators by providing access to arts education, mentorship, and hands-on production experience. We do this via The Storykeepers Fellowship, an internship program that bridges community outreach with filmmaking. Through our partnership with Dallas area care homes, our fellows will build relationships with residents by creating "legacy shorts", producing short films that tell their stories for future generations, and hosting film screenings. Fellows will also gain experience by supporting Tiny Hawk Media projects.
Graduate
MBA Fellowship
Summer 2026
Dallas, TX
Classroom
Early Arts Education
Educational programs for classrooms,
bringing early arts access to grades 5-10.
The LTH Foundation is dedicated to bringing arts and film access to groups of all ages. More information on these programs is coming soon!
Behind the foundation
Celebrating A Family's Legacy
Leona “Tiny” Hawkins (1922 - 2010) began working at the South Dallas Nursing Home in 1965, where she found her passion for helping others. She became the first Black Nursing Home Administrator to be licensed in the State of Texas. She earned her Ph.D. in Business Administration, and bought and ran the South Dallas Nursing Home.
Hawkins was recognized for her career efforts, receiving awards like Quest for Success Black Entrepreneur in Dallas-Fort Worth, 1987, and being inducted into the Texas Black Women’s Hall of Fame in 1986. Hawkins received over 500 awards and certificates for her efforts in political and social organizations including the NAACP, South Dallas Business and Professional Women, and National Council of Negro Women.
The Impact We Make
Giving a new generation of artists access to the world of film.
Interns of The Storykeepers Fellowship gain hands-on experience in documentary filmmaking while working closely with industry professionals at Tiny Hawk Media. They receive mentorship in varied aspects of film production, and begin crafting their creative portfolio. Through this work, interns also develop valuable soft skills such as researching, active listening, and empathy, preparing them for careers in media, journalism, and storytelling of all kinds.
Beyond technical training, the program offers a unique opportunity for intergenerational connection. Interns help preserve personal histories, learn from the wisdom of older generations, and contribute to meaningful community engagement by hosting screenings and sharing these stories publicly. The experience fosters a sense of purpose, giving interns the chance to use their creative skills in service of dignity, legacy, and social change.
Grateful for Our Incredible Partners
