Education & Youth
Lead: Communities in Schools of Memphis
Partners: Memphis Athletic Ministries, MICAH, M-SCS, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Su Casa Family Ministries, TN SCORE
This focus area will cover all elements of a child’s development–including prenatal, early childhood, K-12 education, and postsecondary education. In addition to the supports and services necessary for a child to develop academic skills, this area will consider issues such as non-cognitive skills and social and emotional development. The Education and Youth Development Work Group will explore two-generation strategies and other systems-level approaches.
Workgroup Members
Teshanda Middleton - Project Lead
Jessica Pontoo - Lead Facilitator
Constance Clark - Social Policy Consultant
Johnny Blount
Rachel Bonner
Lagerreco Brooks
Christina Chandler
Johanna Harrison
Brittany Hyman
Willecia Lane
Cody Little
Kristyn Martin
Adrianna Moss
Michael Phillips
Cortney Richardson
Jacquelyn Scruggs
Tasia Wilson
Hannah Wood
Update: Spring 2023
The approach to engaging the community and obtaining feedback has been primarily focused on leveraging the extensive network of the organizations of our focus area. Our partners have played a significant role in supporting children and families across Shelby County, equipping them with context knowledge and understanding of their needs and the obstacles they regularly face. Collectively, the partners in our Anchor Collaborative support every neighborhood and zip code of our county, and their team members have long-standing relationships with residents. During our bi-weekly workgroup meetings, they share qualitative data that helps inform the following steps and provide suggestions on how to best access and utilize quantitative data resources. While their subject matter expertise has helped identify the most pressing issues that impact education and youth, we also hosted two community showcases in October and November of 2022 at the Douglass Community Center and the Hickory Hill Community Center, respectively. During these sessions, approximately 200 community members and youth walked thru various stations to learn about specific topics and interacted with a representative who collected their feedback and opinions. In addition, we conducted an online survey that partners and workgroup members shared with their stakeholders. The combination of the expertise of our partners and workgroup members, the data collected from the community showcases and survey, and extensive research from our Social Policy Consultant resulted in identifying nine problem statements that will serve as the foundation of our plan. During this last phase of the plan development, we plan to continue our bi-weekly workgroup meetings and host at least two more community sessions to help narrow down the problem statements and possible solutions.
Partners
Communities In Schools of Memphis
An affiliate part of the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention organization, empowering students to succeed in school and achieve in life. Based directly inside schools, Communities In Schools connects students and their families to basic and critical educational and community-based resources tailored to each student’s specific needs.
Memphis Athletic Ministries
Exists to coach, grow, and lead the youth of Memphis by helping them discover their identity in Christ and their purpose in the community through team sports, literacy classes, and mentoring.
MICAH
A coalition of community and faith-based organizations in Memphis that focus on three pillars of economic equity, education equity, and race & class equity in the justice system.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is Tennessee’s largest public school district and is among the 25 largest public school districts in the United States. MSCS serves over 110,500 students in more than 214 schools and is the second largest employer in Shelby County with over 13,900 employees, including 6,000 teachers.
Su Casa Family Ministries
A place of safety and connection for both the Latino immigrant community and the broader Memphis community. They offer two main programs: Su Casa Preschool (SCP) seeks to prepare students 1-4 years old to enter kindergarten bi-literate and ready to succeed. Their Adult English Program works to empower families by offering English instruction while connecting them to resources and services with a goal of improved health and economic well-being.
TN SCORE
Drives for changes that transform education from kindergarten through postsecondary through advocacy, research, innovation, and engagement, so Tennessee students develop the knowledge and skills to succeed in school, college, career, and life.
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Provides the residents of Shelby and Fayette counties and the surrounding Mid-South region with a high-quality and affordable post-secondary education that prepares them for associate degrees, future educational opportunities, and successful employment.
