Massage Envy School Grants Update: Parker University Shares Their Success
Each fall and spring, AMTA announces five recipients of the Massage Schools Grants, funded by Massage Envy to support the future of the massage therapy profession. The Schools Grants are $10,000 awards given with the goal of helping massage schools attract, train, and graduate future generations of highly qualified massage therapists.
We recently sat down with one of our Spring 2024 Massage Envy grant recipients, Parker University, located in Dallas, TX, to learn about the positive ways this grant has impacted their school community. Director of the School of Massage Therapy, Greg May, shared how this grant has made an important difference at the school.
New Hydrocollator
First, Greg explained that part of the funds were dedicated towards obtaining a new hydrocollator, as their current one needed replacing. Hydrocollators are machines that heat bentonite-filled cloth pads to specific temperatures for moist heat therapy. He highlighted that the new machine will facilitate student learning, giving them hands-on experience with tools they can use in their own practice.
Dual-Language Scholarships
Parker University devoted the rest of their funds to an area that Greg admitted is “close to [his] heart:” offering dual-language scholarships for bilingual students. To date, they have been able to offer six scholarships, and they plan to offer ten more. Located in Dallas, Parker University has a large Spanish-speaking student body as well as a diverse population seeking massage therapy services; Greg emphasized that the goal of these scholarships is to “produce more bilingual therapists to meet the needs of both clients and therapists.”
Students were immediately excited to hear about these scholarships and the ability to learn and practice in both Spanish and English. The scholarship is even mentioned during school tours to highlight this opportunity further, and Greg hopes that the presence of these scholarships on campus will encourage more dual-language students to attend Parker University.
Campus-Wide Excitement
In addition to the hydrocollator and scholarships, Greg notes that another positive impact of this grant was that it brought the massage school some notoriety on campus. Parker University is a large institution and receiving this grant was a huge honor that brought the massage therapy school campus-wide attention! The boost of morale and excitement about massage therapy, in addition to needed funding, is exactly what this grant is about.
Inspiring Other Schools to Apply
Greg encourages other schools to apply for this grant: “it is such an easy process, there is no reason not to.” The process is easy and efficient, making it an accessible way to fund projects that support students. Greg expressed that Parker University will continue to apply to the grant so that they can continue to spotlight their dual-language program and develop their massage school further.
When asked if he had anything else he would like to add, Greg stated, “I would just like to end with a sincere thank you to AMTA and ME. I really want to thank both parties for doing this; I think it is going to help so many schools—it is going to elevate their game.”
AMTA is honored to support the Massage School Grants, funded by Massage Envy, and is committed to uplifting and advocating for massage therapists, students, and schools. We are looking forward to announcing the Spring 2025 grant recipients on April 1!
About Massage Envy
Massage Envy, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a national franchisor and does not independently own or operate any of the Massage Envy franchised locations nationwide. The Massage Envy franchise network, through its franchise locations, is the leading provider of massage services and skin care offerings. Massage Envy was founded in 2002 and started offering skin care services in 2008. The brand now has over 1,000 franchise locations in 49 states that have together delivered more than 225 million massages and skin care services.