Category: Featured
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
WREG recently spotlighted Porter-Leath as part of their "Community Changers" feature and donated $1,000 with the help of Brown Missionary Baptist Church. The feature discussed how Porter-Leath is providing affordable early childhood education for local family and showcased a bit of the new Porter-Leath & University of Memphis Early Childhood Academy at Orange Mound. Click here or the image above to watch the spotlight online.
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Posted by
Mary Braddock
at
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
During its second year of service, NEXT Memphis partnered with 22 childcare centers and 15 family childcare centers. Through its intensive educational support and full family wraparound services, NEXT Memphis served over 1,592 children and over 1,392
families. NEXT Memphis staff also saved childcare partners time and money through business, finance, and maintenance support. With NEXT Memphis partners reporting a range of cost savings from $45,000 to $108,000 over the past year.
In addition to...
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Porter-Leath’s Sarah’s Place is a residential facility on Manassas Street, which has space available for youth who need a safe and nurturing environment to live away from home. Sarah’s Place is operated by clinical staff 24-hours a day and focuses on providing trauma informed support to both youth and their families. Tony Jackson, Jr. is a case manager for Residential Services who sees his role as an opportunity to ‘fill the gap’ for youth at Sarah’s Place....
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Thursday, December 15, 2022
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters
Samantha West, Chalkbeat Tennessee
Dec 15, 6:00am EST
Clarissa Odom had her hands — and lap — full when a visitor stopped into her preschool classroom.
Odom, a new infants teacher at a Porter-Leath center in Orange Mound, sat cross-legged on a colorful rug, bouncing two finicky babies looking for snuggles, one on each knee. At the same time, she tried to comfort a...
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at Thursday, December 15, 2022
Did you know that conversational turns are powerful? Conversational turns are simple back-and-forth alternations between a child and an adult. A turn has occurred when an adult speaks and a child follows, or vice versa, with no more than five seconds in between. Through Porter-Leath’s Teacher Excellence Program, early childhood educators across Memphis are learning about the daily impact of these conversational turns on the brain structure/function and socioemotional development of chil...
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Porter-Leath values providing the earliest intervention for the children and families we serve. One way our staff fulfills this value is by offering all students connected to Porter-Leath with a variety of health screenings. Lead by Stephanie Jones, Porter-Leath’s Health Services Manager, the initial screenings take place at the beginning of the school year, most of which occur within 45-90 days from the first day of school. Jones’ team collaborates with fellow Porter-Leath staff ...
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While all Tennessee drivers must obtain a new license plate this year, many may be unaware a Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library license plate is available as an option for drivers. Simply search or ask for “Dollywood Foundation” when you purchase your speciality plate. A portion of the license plate sale is distributed to the local Imagination Library affiliate within the county chosen at the time of purchase. This means that over $15 of each Imagination Library plate purcha...
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The Early Success Coalition at Porter-Leath is gearing up for the second cohort of the Memphis Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) and all parents and caregivers in Shelby County are invited to apply! The Parent Leadership Training Institute is a free 20-week course designed to equip parents with the knowledge and skills to advocate for policies and practices that benefit children and families in Memphis. Parents participate in a retreat, attend a weekly 3 hour workshop, and complete ...
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Children need strong, consistent relationships with caring adults that help build confidence and life skills. They need Generations, the home for AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Senior volunteers at Porter-Leath. Generations helps to fill the gap, bringing children in need together with adults in a mutually-beneficial service experience. AmeriCorps is not just a volunteer program, it is a program full of opportunities. This fact was especially true for Jasmine Joyner. As an AmeriCorps membe...
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Friday, September 16, 2022
Three years ago, Porter-Leath undertook a top-to-bottom review of existing and potential programs designed to attract and retain top talent.
One key initiative that was important to Porter-Leath’s Board and Senior Staff was to implement a living wage program that ensured all employees made an hourly pay rate of $15 or more with benefits. Because grants and contracts that Porter-Leath relies on do not rise significantly year over year, careful planning and incremental steps had to be ta...
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at Friday, September 16, 2022
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Porter-Leath will be hosting an agency-wide job fair at the Porter-Leath & University of Memphis Early Childhood Academy at Orange Mound. (Job positions are available across all of Porter-Leath's departments and locations.)
We are seeking Certified Pre-K Teachers, Certified Special Education Pre-K Teachers, Preschool Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Floaters, Home Visitors, Residential Monitors, and more!
The mission of Porter-Leath is empowering children and families to...
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at Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Porter-Leath is announcing their annual Books from Birth spring luncheon, presented by International Paper. The event will take place on Thursday, May 5 beginning at 12:00 PM (doors open at 11:30 AM), at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms. This year’s special guest speaker is Felicia Peat, WKNO's Teacher Teacher, and the luncheon will also be honoring the 2022 AC Wharton, Jr. Literacy Award winner, Karen Vogelsang. Purchase your tickets or whole tables at www.porterleath.org/...
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Friday, March 4, 2022
On March 4th, The Porter-Leath & University of Memphis Early Childhood Academy at Orange Mound celebrated its grand opening. The Academy is a research-based educational facility which serves children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old, where care is most crucial and underprovided in Shelby County.
At the grand opening event, representatives from both organizations recognized supporters and leadership that helped make the world-class facility a reality. With the help of some young...
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at Friday, March 4, 2022
NEXT Memphis, an early childhood initiative housed at Porter-Leath, added a second cohort of twelve childcare centers that will participate in its shared services program model. The cohort will join a network of standout centers that will directly increase educational outcomes for children, family-level outcomes for parents, business viability, and overall childcare center quality. Participating centers are:
Destination Education
FingerTips Enrichment Center
Memphis Childcare Academ...
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Recently, Porter-Leath’s Teacher Excellence Program established a partnership with the University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO). LEO helps a cohort of service providers across the nation apply scientific evaluation methods to better understand and share effective poverty interventions with the goal of using research to positively impact people.The partnership matches top researchers with passionate leaders in the social service sector to condu...
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Porter-Leath recently expanded its Early Childhood Education options for all families by offering a tuition option for preschool children ages birth to 5 years old. This newly added option operates parallel to the Agency’s publicly funded educational and social services through Early Head Start and First 8 Memphis. Porter-Leath accepts child care certificate from Tennessee’s Department of Human Services and also offers scholarships for families who may need
assistance with tuition...
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Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Gerald Fanion IV age three years old LOVES books, often snuggling them as he sleeps each night. His mother, Dr. Sha Fanion, a former elementary school principal and current educational leadership coach, is passionate about literacy. Dr. Fanion read to Gerald in utero and she and her husband have not stopped reading to him since he was born! In fact, she immediately signed Gerald up to receive books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through Porter-Leath’s Books from Birth pro...
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at Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Porter-Leath Hiring Event - December 9th at 2869 Park Avenue, Memphis, TN 38114
Porter-Leath is investing more in top talent than ever before! If you havn’t checked us out lately or are new to Porter-Leath, consider starting a great career serving children and families throughout Memphis and Shelby County. We offer:
New, Higher Starting Pay Scales
$1,500 Sign On Bonus
Comprehensive Benefits Package
Inclusive Work Culture
Professional Development Programs
Best-in-class...
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at Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
The bond between a parent educator and a caregiver is special. Ethel Gallaher first met Porter-Leath Parent Educator, Angela Lee, when she visited the house to meet with Mrs. Gallaher’s daughter, Sharonda Carruthers and two grandsons, D’Kylynn and DeLynn.
Sharonda enrolled her family into Porter-Leath Cornerstone in 2019 to help her two little boys prepare for Kindergarten. Cornerstone pairs caregivers with parent educators who use an evidence-based curriculum calle...
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at Wednesday, November 17, 2021
At the young age of 15, Cristen was placed into Porter-Leath’s Sarah’s Place program. Cristen’s turn-around success story can inspire anyone who has faced hardship in life. Before coming to Sarah’s Place, Cristen was in junior high and began to sell drugs in order to help his mother pay the bills. Eventually, his mother was evicted, leaving Cristen homeless and searching for friends to stay with for days at a time. After getting into a car accident that put him in the ...
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Tuesday, November 2, 2021
“Listen to your teacher, and listen to your parents. I love you all, and I’ll see you tomorrow!” This is how Maxine Nolan leaves her classroom of 22 children at John P. Freeman Optional School after every day. She is an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer and spends her weekdays connecting with children and mentoring them to help build confidence and life skills.
Five years ago after retiring from a local hospital, Mrs. Nolan became an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer thro...
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at Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Porter-Leath will host a series of student and employee recruitment fairs:
Sept. 21st - Porter-Leath Early Childhood Center | American Way
4207 American Way, Memphis, TN 38118
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Sept. 27st - Benjamin L. Hooks Library
3030 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38111
2:00 - 6:00 PM
Oct. 8th - Porter-Leath Early Childhood Academy | Frayser
3060 Baskin, Memphis, TN 38127
3:00 - 7:00 PM
Porter-Leath is seeking teachers, assistant teachers, and family service workers. Candidates will be eli...
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at Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Monday, September 20, 2021
Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (MOST) is announcing Porter-Leath as a partner school and a new option for future MOST scholarship students. Students who receive scholarships through MOST and graduate from Porter-Leath Preschool can carry the scholarship forward to their next school.
“Porter-Leath’s attentiveness to early childhood learning translates into their students going on to excel in Kindergarten through 12th grades. We are proud to add them to our fantastic ...
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at Monday, September 20, 2021
Monday, June 14, 2021
Porter-Leath is seeking foster parents who can provide safe and loving homes for children from unstable environments. Children qualify for foster care when they have been removed from their home due to neglect, abuse, homelessness or other challenges.
Currently, there are over 8,800 children in Tennessee’s foster care system – 1,100 of which are here in Shelby County. Foster parents can help children maintain vital connections and often keep sibling groups together. The great...
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at Monday, June 14, 2021
Thursday, June 10, 2021
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath will continue providing preschool services for children and families in the upcoming school year, while SCS chooses to absorb additional dollars that could be used to support children and families. SCS has continually decreased Head Start funding available to Porter-Leath, making continued operations in Porter-Leath centers using Head Start resources impossible without significant cuts that would diminish quality and increase risks to health and safety ...
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at Thursday, June 10, 2021
As the Early Success Coalition works to build the capacity of the early childhood workforce, a key priority is advancing the understanding of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health through professional development for healthcare providers, early childhood educators, childcare providers and home visitors.
Infants and very young children are all too often left out of conversations around mental health, but early experiences and environments can affect emotional well-being across a lifes...
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Tuesday, April 6, 2021
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth honored several Tennesseans this week for their efforts on behalf of children.
Awards were presented at the agency’s annual Children’s Advocacy Days event, which serves as an opportunity for children’s advocates, service providers and others to come together to listen to speakers, leaders and peers who share the goal of improving outcomes for children, youth and families.
Of the five honorees that were recognized, one was from...
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at Tuesday, April 6, 2021
Porter-Leath to host virtual Grand Opening on March 26
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath is proud to announce the upcoming opening of its newest Early Childhood Academy which will house preschool children ages six weeks to five and Porter-Leath’s Teacher Excellence Program. Made possible by community partners committed to high-quality early education for all Shelby County children regardless of ZIP code, the Early Childhood Academy in Frayser is a state-of-the-art preschool and t...
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Thursday, March 4, 2021
Service supports young families with evidence-based Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum
Porter-Leath is excited to announce that its Cornerstone program is now available to families in Fayette County. Using the evidence-based Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum, Cornerstone is an early childhood visitation program that works directly with prenatal mothers, as well as families with children from birth to age 5. Certified Parent Educators meet with caregivers and families twice a month to g...
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at Thursday, March 4, 2021
Thursday, February 11, 2021
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering children and families, is proud to welcome Paul Makris to the organization as its new Chief Financial Officer. “We are thrilled to welcome Paul to the team.” said Sean Lee, President of Porter-Leath. “His business acumen and commitment to nonprofit work make him a perfect fit for our organization.”
Paul Makris named new CFO of Porter-Leath
With 15 years as a C-level executive and 13 year...
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at Thursday, February 11, 2021
Beginning Monday, January 18, United Way of the Mid-South will launch our 19th year of our Free Tax Preparation program, in conjunction with the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. We will again prepare and file taxes -- for free -- for low-to-moderate income families. Providing IRS-certified tax preparers, our Free Tax Prep program helps eligible Mid-Southerners -- individuals and families whose household income was below $57,000 in 2020 -- take advantage of eve...
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Jamilla Counts did not have an easy childhood growing up in Chicago. She dealt with abuse and trauma, including witnessing the murder of her own mother. These experiences left her filled with anger and frustration. After losing her biological mother, Jamilla was placed with a foster family, including a woman she called “Mama Strong.” Mama Strong took Jamilla in and eventually they moved to Memphis.
Jamilla’s new home had structure and love, and gave her the opportunity to h...
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Makia Hampton aspires to be a therapist in a local school, so after finishing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Memphis, she looked for ways to gain experience working with children in an educational setting. “My ultimate goal is to some way, somehow prevent people from becoming statistics” she remarked and added that “getting assistance when you are young … can help people avoid risky behavior later in life.”
As a native Memphian, Mak...
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Thursday, October 8, 2020
The University of Memphis and Porter-Leath are partnering to launch a new, innovative Early Childhood Academy located alongside the Orange Mound neighborhood’s RedZone Ministries. The Academy is designed to help address a critical need for early childhood care in the Memphis community.
Construction and design plans are being finalized with the support of $15 million raised in private contributions. Groundbreaking is scheduled for November 11th.
The partnership will provide a r...
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at Thursday, October 8, 2020
The Generations Program houses two volunteer experiences - Foster Grandparents and RSVP - which engage seniors 55 years of age or older. Unlike foster grandparents who serve in Porter-Leath Preschool clasrooms, RSVP partners with community service organizations in DeSoto County to place senior volunteers at a variety of assignment options. Volunteer positions are flexible and are designed to keep seniors active and create opportunities for them to use their knowledge and experience to benefit...
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Nancy Young has a passion for raising children to be strong, smart and independent. In 2009, after her children and grandchildren became adults, Ms. Young saw a report on the news about Porter-Leath’s need for foster parents and decided to pursue her certification. She wanted to open her home to provide children a safe and loving home, as long as they needed it.
“I saw so many children in Memphis who were being mistreated in different ways and I just wanted to help out,” ...
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Preschool is a place where teachers facilitate learning through play, where young children are discovering the world around them, making friends without a care in the world. A place where most teachers have a background in early childhood or child development, training in early care best practices and anticipating preparing young children for higher learning. Preschool teachers often expect children to show up with a clean slate ready to absorb information, but unfortunately, young chil...
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Wednesday, November 20, 2019
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath recently announced the launch of NEXT Memphis, a new initiative to increase the number of high-quality child care centers by offering significant resources, training, and support to community child care providers. Porter-Leath will recruit the inaugural class of 10 providers in late January 2020. Over the next 3 years, NEXT Memphis will build a network of 40 providers, serving over 7,000 children and families.
NEXT Memphis is a shared service program m...
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at Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Monday, September 23, 2019
Porter-Leath was recently recognized with two awards for living out its mission of empowering children and families to live a healthy optimal and independent lifestyle.
This September, Porter-Leath was recognized by the Child Advocacy Center with the James G. Hughes Community Advocate Award. This annual award is given to a person or organization whose efforts in Shelby County demonstrate a commitment to the safety and well-being of children. Porter-Leath was recognized for our commitm...
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Posted by
Mary Braddock
at
Monday, September 23, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019
Porter-Leath is thrilled to announce the construction of three additional Early Childhood Academies over the next three years! By building world-class facilities in Memphis’ highest need neighborhoods, we are living our promise to help provide the very best early childhood experience to every child, regardless of zip code or income. We look forward to engaging the parents and stakeholders in each neighborhood in ways to continue improving early childhood education equity and q...
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Posted by
Mary Braddock
at
Friday, August 16, 2019