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RSVP: A Volunteer Program for Senior Adults

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 their communities.

June Lord is a recently recruited RSVP volunteer who serves her community each week in a food pantry housed at Sacred Heart Southern Missions. Ms. Lord spent the last decade caring for her husband. After her husband passed away, Ms. Lord moved to the Mid- South to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.

While she found social engagements and time with her family rewarding, Ms. Lord looked for a way to get involved and to give back to her new found home. “I saw an article that talked about an event hosted by Porter-Leath called “Variety is the Spice of Life” and I really liked that! ... I went online and learned about the history of Porter-Leath and wanted to see how I could volunteer,” Ms. Lord said.

She was contacted by Merracle Jordan, Porter-Leath’s RSVP Coordinator, who explained the process of connecting volunteers with service placements. The two women had an instant connection and Ms. Lord was proud to call the Porter-Leath staff member her personal miracle!

“I knew the level of vetting that I was going through and the vetting that the positions were given and felt really comfortable that my placement would be safe and that my time would be valued,” she reported.

Ms. Lord uses her previous experience in the business world to assist with clerical work and serving others at the food pantry. She finds providing food to those in need incredibly rewarding. “You do things for people and you know you don’t expect to get anything back, but I think I receive more than possibly they do!” she added. Ms. Lord proudly announced that she is nearly 89 years old, but she volunteers her time as she can. DeSoto County is lucky to have the service of one of its newest residents!

Featured Generations

Little Engine Playhouse Visits Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Dollywood Little Engine Playhouse Tour, presented by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, makes its next stop in Shelby County to area public libraries. Presented in partnership with Penguin Books, the Tour adapts Imagination Library books into 20-minute sing-along musicals for young children

The Imagination Library is the flagship program of the Dollywood Foundation. The book gifting program mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income. The Imagination Library brings children's books to the stage by way of the Little Engine Playhouse, which travels to schools, libraries, and other children’s venues across Tennessee and around the country.

Porter-Leath’s Books from Birth Program is the largest of 1,700 Imagination Library affiliates. In partnership with the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, the program mails age-appropriate books to nearly 45,000 Shelby County children from birth to age five each month at no cost to families.

“As the local affiliate of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Porter-Leath's Books from Birth Program is excited to welcome a little bit of the Smoky Mountains to the Bluff City," said Wynett Jones, Books from Birth Program Director at Porter-Leath.

Audiences will enjoy the theatrical adaptation of “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon,” which delivers a positive, anti-bullying message. When Molly Lou Melon starts a new school, the school bully makes fun of her on her very first day. With advice from her grandmother, Molly Lou proves that her perceived flaws are really her talents. “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon,” is written by Patty Lovell, with illustrations by David Catrow. The stage adaptation of the story is engineered by long-time Playhouse director, Brian Hull.

Free Public Shelby County Showtimes:

  • Tuesday, Feb. 4, 1 p.m. - Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN
  • Thursday, Feb. 6, 5 p.m. - Collierville Burch Library, 501 Poplar View Parkway, Collierville TN
  • Friday, Feb. 7, 11:30 a.m. - Germantown Community Library, 1925 Exeter Road, Germantown, TN
  • Wednesday, Feb. 12, 4:30 p.m. - Bartlett Public Library, 5884 Stage Road, Memphis, TN

 

About Porter-Leath

For over 170 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis through its mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle. For more information, visit PorterLeath.org.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation has mailed well over 100 million free books in Australia, Canada, The Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.4 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring them to dream. The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.

About Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF)

The Imagination Library was established in 1996 by Dolly Parton as a gift to the children in her hometown of Sevierville, TN. The program mails one new, age-appropriate, high-quality book each month to registered children, from birth until age five. With vital financial support from the Tennessee General Assembly, foundations, individuals, and corporate sponsors, Governor’s Early Literacy Foundations funds half the cost of books for the Imagination Library affiliates in each of Tennessee’s 95 counties. For information on how to support your local Imagination Library program or enroll a child, visit www.GovernorsFoundation.org or call toll-free, 1-877-99-BOOKS.

Books from Birth Developing Children Preschool

Connecting with Compassion: Nancy Young Uses Her House to Help Children Find a Safe Home

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,” she said. Currently, Ms. Young is fostering four children ages 2 to 5 years old. Ms. Young, affectionately called “Grandmama” adds that being a foster care parent helps her maintain her health because she is always moving. Her mind stays sharp because she spends a lot of time with the children, engaging them in conversation, playing games and working with them on homework. There have also been bumps along the road. She recalled a young boy who came to her house and struggled at school because he did not know his alphabet. His frustration grew into daily tantrums, but Ms. Young, undeterred by his outbursts, patiently worked with him for six weeks at the end of which the child began reading.

Ms. Young shares that Porter-Leath has always been there when she needed guidance or assistance with a child, and credits her faith for providing her with compassion. “I pray every day, ‘God, please help me to be the best foster mama that I can be’ and I do that even before a child comes into my house,” she states. Ms. Young believes the adage, ‘you reap what you sow’ is never more evident than when you are raising a child. “If you yell, they will yell, but I have to remember that they are children,” she adds. “If you practice patience and kindness, chances are, they will emulate that too.”

The ultimate goal of foster care service is reunification with parents or family members who can provide a safe permanent home. Over the past decade, Ms. Young has had many children live in her home with most staying only a few months. Ms. Young’s ultimate compliment came when the parents of a former foster child said that they wanted Ms. Young to continue to be in their child’s life. She now serves as a surrogate grandmother to that young girl and a special friend to her parents. To find out more about Porter-Leath's foster care program visit porterleath.org/foster.

Children's Issues Connections Featured

Preschool teacher facing trauma through the eyes of a 4-year olds

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 children are showing up with far too many cares in their world that are impacting them socially, emotionally and academically.  

When teachers are busy educating our youngest minds, it is about lesson plans, curriculum, classroom environment, school readiness and soliciting parental support. These are just a few expectations or requirements of pre-k teachers. Nevertheless, teachers are ill-equipped and unprepared to meet the needs of our young children.  Unfortunately, few colleges and universities provided early childhood courses on the impact of trauma on a young child’s brain, self-regulation in the classroom, adverse childhood experiences, teacher self-care or how to work with young children of parents impacted by trauma. Yet more and more preschool teachers are faced with this critical issue every day.

Preschool student Tevon is a bright four years old male child in his first year of preschool. He enjoys coming to school daily where the preschool van picks him up and drops him off at home in the late afternoon. Tevon likes to play with small cars and blocks but you can always find him in the housekeeping area reenacting snapshots of his home life experiences. 

The teacher greets each child at the door daily to create a positive climate and to observe any behaviors or emotions that she may need to help manage throughout the day. Tevon greets the teacher one morning and asked her, “why he had to wear the same clothes from yesterday?” During breakfast he takes the biscuits from the bowl to place in his pocket as his peers proceed to tattle to the teacher about his food hoarding.  

Tevon feeling embarrassed and ashamed stands up from his chair and throws all of the bowls, utensils and food off of the table, as well as his chair across the room while crying and screaming, “leave me alone’” at the top of his lungs. The teacher immediately tries to calm him down by assuring him that he is safe and rubbing his back. Once he is calm, Tevon shares with his teacher that he is hungry at home. He also shared that he witnessed his mom argue and physically fight the next door neighbor the day before and that he wants to live in another house because his house is loud and has too many bugs.

Furthermore, Tevon lives with his mom who works 2 jobs and has an elementary-aged sibling who cares for him after school. The teacher spoke with mom on the phone regarding Tevon’s behavior and conversation and mom confirmed his home experiences and is working 2 jobs to move out of the infested apartment. Mom also expressed concerned about his aggressive behavior at home.

Unfortunately, this is only one of many preschool teachers' stories in many communities across this country. Teachers facing the trauma of young children in the classroom without the appropriate training or skill set on how to best support children with challenging behaviors as it relates to trauma. Data shows that more than half of all U.S. children have experienced some kind of trauma in the form of abuse, neglect, violence, or challenging household circumstances—and 35 percent of children have experienced more than one type of traumatic event, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These adverse childhood experiences can have impacts that extend far beyond childhood, including higher risks for alcoholism, liver disease, suicide, and other health problems later in life.

Traumatic experiences can actually change the structure and functioning of a child’s brain through the activation of stress response systems. When exposed to a stressor, the body responds through a “fight,” “flight,” or “freeze” response that activates several systems in the body and releases stress hormones that are designed to be protective for survival.  However, this response becomes dangerous to the brain, rather than protective, when repeated traumatic experiences lead to an over-reactive stress system. As described by one pediatrician, these children are living in a “constant state of emergency,” and it has very real implications for their brain development and social functioning. 

For teachers, who are directly exposed to a large number of young people with trauma in their work, a secondary type of trauma, known as vicarious stress, is a big risk. Sometimes called the “cost of caring,” vicarious trauma can result from “hearing people’s trauma stories and becoming witnesses to the pain, fear, and terror that trauma survivors have endured,” according to the American Counseling Association. A significant number of children experience trauma, and the effects can be profound. It is imperative, therefore, that early childhood settings be safe, trauma-sensitive spaces where teachers support children in creating positive self-identities. (Cole et al.2013). To fully understand children’s challenging behaviors, it is imperative that teachers communicate with children’s families regularly to understand whether the behavior is seen in the classroom might be connected to traumatic experiences (Wright 2014).

Patricia Jennings, associate professor at the University of Virginia and author of the new book The Trauma-Sensitive Classroom, says that childhood trauma can have severe immediate and long-term consequences for students’ cognitive, social and emotional development.“We know enough about the science to know that teachers can make a huge difference,” said Jennings. “The school environment is one of the places where students who are exposed to real challenges at home can find safety and stability.”

“The adults in the school environment may be the most stable and mentally well people [some children] have contact with,” said Jennings. “Their teachers can become role models for them for what a healthy adult is like. School can become a sanctuary for kids like this.”In Jennings’ work, she focuses first on helping teachers develop resilience, self-awareness, and self-regulation -- and then on how they can teach these tools to children.  She said that teachers need to learn how to manage their own stress that comes with navigating students’ trauma-related behavior.

The Momentous Institute in Dallas, Texas has been working to build and repair social-emotional health since 1920 and has invested in research and training with trauma-informed strategies that strengthen social-emotional health. The Momentous Model for social-emotional health begins with the foundation of safe relationships for children. As preschool teachers look into the innocent faces of 4-year-olds who have experienced trauma, teachers can become better prepared to deal with trauma in the preschool classroom with these informed practices:

  • Ensure children feel safe
  • Build trusting relationships with students
  • Create trauma-sensitive spaces
  • Ask the question - “What happened to this child?” 
  • Depersonalize the behavior
  • Identify your own ACE’s or trauma
  • Expose children to social skills - self-awareness, self-regulation, resilience, empathy
  • Develop opportunities that promote diversity of self-identity
  • Collaborate with resource staff that support families
  • Consistent communication and engagement with parent(s)
  • Practice self-reflection, coping strategies and self-care
  • Connecting with colleagues to talk through and process experiences

According to the Education Law Center, an estimated two in three children are exposed to traumatic experiences that have the potential to impact brain development, social functioning, and ability to learn and engage in school. Recognizing and addressing this issue must become a focus for our educational system. Trauma-informed approaches, which have been supported by research evidence in fields such as mental health and child welfare, recognize and address the implications of traumatic experiences for students. 

Trauma has the potential to affect all students and teachers, and implementing a trauma-informed approach as early as preschool has the potential to transform the educational landscape and positively impact communities.

Children's Issues Developing Children Featured Teacher Excellence Program

Local Law Enforcement Leaders and Lawmakers Advocate for More Resources for Early Childhood Education

On December 10th, Porter-Leath hosted national nonprofit, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (FCIK), and local law enforcement leadership to highlight key findings from a new report, “Early Childhood Educators: Our Partners in Crime Prevention in Tennessee”. Porter-Leath is proud to have local supporters advocating for more resources for our high-quality Preschool program that ensures children are ready for kindergarten. Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich, Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings and Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner visited Porter-Leath’s Early Childhood Academy along with lawmakers Sen. Raumesh Akbari and Rep. Antonio Parkinson, to read to pre-K students and show their support for early childhood education. They stressed the benefits that early success in school can have on reducing crime later in life.  

“We’ve known for a long while that there’s a connection between early childhood education and crime avoidance,” explained Memphis Police Director Mike Rallings. “Putting them on the right path as they’re just beginning school is a vital step in keeping them away from crime as they grow up.” According to the report published by FCIK, investments in high-quality early childhood education (ECE) can result in positive longterm outcomes like better school performance, fewer school dropouts and lower instances of crime. Sheriff Bonner added, "We can’t arrest our way out of crime. High-quality Pre-K fights crime by readying kids for success." 

Statistically, 6 out of 10 prison inmates do not have a high school diploma*, and many are functionally illiterate. Early childhood education programs such as Porter-Leath’s Preschool aims at getting the students to the appropriate reading level so they are ready to begin kindergarten, thus setting them up for success. This success helps to steer children away from a life of crime, and gives them a better chance at escaping the cycle of poverty. “We are trying to stop these kids before they get incarcerated with us, we are trying to say to the community, invest in our children now,” Sheriff Bonner said. Weirich added, “The sooner we can get our kids to school, the better for them and the better for all of us.”

Senator Raumesh Akbari with Porter-Leath Early Head Start Student

FCIK's report also found that high-quality preschool programs share certain key features, including highly-qualified teachers, developmentally-appropriate standards and curricula, appropriate teacher-child ratios, small class sizes, monitoring and quality-improvement systems, and screening and referral to needed services. 

To echo the importance of early childhood education, Joshua Spaulding, National Director for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (FCIK) explained, “Youth that have participated in high-quality early childhood education are much less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system.”  

Furthermore, Spaulding mentioned that there is a need to ensure a sustainable early childhood workforce through increased wages and a streamlined certification process.  State lawmakers agree and look forward to taking this on in the upcoming legislative session. According to Sen. Akbari, "When you even look at the history of us still having voluntary pre-K and early childhood education as opposed to mandatory, and if you look at other areas of the South like Mississippi, Tennessee is ahead of the curve, but Georgia is kicking our butt."  Rep. Parkinson added, “ This needs to be our priority. It needs to be our priority in funding. It needs to be our priority in policy.”

 

For more on this story, review highlights from local media: 

Local Memphis 24 (ABC)

WMC Action News 5 (NBC)

Fox 13 (FOX) 

WREG News 3 (CBS)

Note: *7 Ewert, S., & Wildhagen, T. (2011). Educational characteristics of prisoners: Data from the ACS. https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2011/demo/ewert-wildhagen-prisoner-education-4-6-11.pdf

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Porter-Leath launches NEXT Memphis for Child Care Partners

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 model that helps independent child care providers reduce costs and improve outcomes, so that they can direct more of their attention and resources into the classroom and to families. Through NEXT Memphis, Porter-Leath will offer wraparound services to families, helping parents set and achieve goals and connecting them with community resources. NEXT Memphis’ model will ensure more children enter kindergarten ready to learn; more families are well; and child care professionals have the resources and care they need to develop in their profession.

The initiative developed as a response to local research supported by First 8 Memphis. The research explored how child care providers in underserved communities wanted to develop their centers and sustainably increase high-quality services for both children and families. Results from this research found that providing back office support, professional development and access to social services would strengthen the businesses, increase the quality of classroom instruction, and offer more support for children and families. 

NEXT Memphis also brings expansion of Porter-Leath’s Teacher Excellence Program to child care operators, which helps increase classroom engagement and achievement through teacher training, coaching, instruction and observation. 

Porter-Leath announced that Chloe Moore will serve as NEXT Memphis’ Program Director. Moore most recently served as a Continuous Improvement Specialist at Seeding Success and previously served several local, national, and international non-profits. “Chloe has a proven track record of improving outcomes for children and families in our community,” said Porter-Leath’s President Sean Lee. “We are thrilled to see her continue her work at NEXT Memphis, expanding quality child care opportunities.” Moore is a native Memphian, and holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology from Rhodes College.

“Child care centers play an invaluable role in community life,” said Moore. “With NEXT Memphis, we can build and sustain high-quality programs that help them continue to succeed. Child care directors and teachers have have been heroes in the community for decades, and I do not know where we would be without them. NEXT Memphis recognizes this, and also knows how these professionals want and need more resources to do their work. Our goal is to ease the burdens on child care professionals, so that the majority of their time is spent where their passions are - with children and families.” Interested child care providers should contact Chloe Moore at (901) 577-2500.

NEXT Memphis joins Porter-Leath’s comprehensive range of early childhood services in supporting children’s social, emotional and cognitive growth. By partnering with quality child care providers in Memphis’ highest need neighborhoods, Porter-Leath is living its promise to help provide the best early childhood experience to every child, regardless of zip code or income. NEXT Memphis will directly increase educational outcomes for children, family-level outcomes, and child care center quality.

at Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Developing Children Featured Teacher Excellence Program

Monday, September 23, 2019

Porter-Leath Given Two Community Awards for Work with Children

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 commitment to having 100% of our employees attend the Stewards of Children program to help protect children from sexual abuse. So far we have trained over 600 of our 650 employees thanks to the organizational efforts of Gwen Price, Porter-Leath's Director of Contract Management.

Additionally, each year the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics provides an opportunity for its members across the state to nominate colleagues and community members to be recognized for making a significant contribution to the welfare of children. We are excited to announce that Porter-Leath was honored with the "Friends of Children" award by the TNAAP at its Excellence in Pediatrics Annual Awards ceremony on September 13, 2019 in Franklin, TN. The award recognizes groups for their commitment to children's health advocacy in Tennessee and highlighted Porter-Leath's work with children and families in Shelby County. (You can learn more about Tennessee Chapter of the AAP by visiting: tnaap.org)

 

Posted by Mary Braddock at Monday, September 23, 2019
Children's Issues Developing Children Featured Health and Safety

Friday, August 16, 2019

Porter-Leath Announces the Construction of Three New Early Childhood Academies

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 quality for all children.

The new Academies follow the opening of Porter-Leath’s first Early Childhood Academy on Alice Avenue in 2017. With four Early Childhood Academies in Memphis by 2022, we are fulfilling our mission of empowering children and families to achieve healthy, optimal and independent lifestyles.

Construction on the first Academy will begin in 2019 and be complete in early 2021. The second Academy will start in 2020 and be complete in 2021. Finally, construction of the third Academy will begin in 2021, with completion in 2022. In addition to expanding our Teacher Excellence Program to all three locations, Porter-Leath is partnering with the University of Memphis at the second Academy to provide teacher and practitioner training through research, observation and instruction.

Porter-Leath has asked Shelby County Schools' Head Start Policy Council and the School Board to approve the move of Delano Head Start enrollment to the new Frayser Academy, Hanley Head Start enrollment to the second Academy, and Cottonwood Head Start enrollment to the third Academy once construction on each is complete. Porter-Leath and SCS share a commitment to making Shelby County's Head Start program the benchmark for all other Head Start programs in the nation, and we are confident that they will approve the moves. Porter-Leath will fund all three building projects through private dollars and at no expense to SCS.

"Quality programming is best reflected through quality facilities," said Sean Lee, Porter-Leath’s President. "All children and families in our Preschool program get the absolute best in teaching and wraparound services, and we are thrilled to provide new facilities as our next step in creating an equitable, quality early childhood education program in Memphis that will be the leader across the United States. Funding for these buildings is by far the largest gift and private investment in Head Start in Shelby County and is a key indicator of how much impact the program has on our community's future."

Porter-Leath's long-term goal has been to support the turnaround of Head Start in Shelby County. The program was good, but we wanted to make it the best in the US so that children could enter kindergarten ready to learn and then read at a third grade reading level by third grade. Since becoming the sole contractor for Head Start five years ago, Porter-Leath programs and staff have increased innovation, quality, and outcomes for children and families.

Posted by Mary Braddock at Friday, August 16, 2019
Developing Children Featured Preschool

27th Annual Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival benefiting Porter-Leath Sunday, April 28

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The 27th Annual Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival benefiting Porter-Leath will be held on Sunday, April 28 from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. at Wagner Place and Riverside Drive, between Union Avenue and Beale Street. Each year, the festival supports free programs and services that fulfill Porter-Leath’s mission of empowering over 50,000 Mid-South children and families to achieve healthy, optimal and independent lifestyles.

Recognized among Memphians as the unofficial start of spring, Rajun Cajun is one of the few Memphis festivals that maintains free admission. The festival offers fun for all Mid-South families, including crawfish bobbing, eating and racing contests. And children ages 12 and under can play a wide variety of age-appropriate games at the Kids Area on Riverside Drive.

With 17,000 pounds of fresh Louisiana crawfish and over 35,000 attendees, Rajun Cajun is the largest one-day crawfish festival in the Mid-South. The festival will feature live swamp soul, rhythm & blues and  funk fusion entertainment from Marcella + Her Lovers on the Southland Park Gaming and Racing Main Stage, Nick Black on the Orion Federal Credit Union Beale Street Stage, and Freeworld on the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Riverside Stage.

“Over the past 27 years, Rajun Cajun has become a social, cultural and musical tradition in Memphis that unites individuals and businesses around supporting children and families in our community,” said Rob Hughes, Vice President of Development at Porter-Leath. “And with free admission, Rajun Cajun is a special experience everybody can share. Remember, ‘eat crawfish, help children!’”

Twenty-four gumbo teams will compete in the annual Cash Saver Gumbo Cook-Off to claim this year's skillet trophy and cash prizes. And festival-goers can purchase Monogram Foods Swamp Tent tickets at $125 per person and $225 per pair for a VIP experience with unlimited crawfish, Cajun buffet, beer and soft drinks from noon until 6 p.m. Swamp Tent ticketholders will also enjoy two drink tickets, each good for a margarita or hurricane. The Confluent Strategies Crawfish To Go station will be located at the corner of Riverside Drive and Union Avenue. In addition to crawfish, over 24 food trucks will offer everything from BBQ, to burgers, to traditional carnival fare.

To learn more about the 27th Annual Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival, register your Gumbo Cook-Off team, or buy Swamp Tent tickets, visit rajuncajunmemphis.org.

Rajun Cajun

Porter-Leath Announces Books from Birth Spring Luncheon

Memphis, Tennessee – Porter-Leath recently announced its Books from Birth Spring Luncheon, at the FedEx Event Center on Thursday, April 11 at noon (doors open at 11:30am). Presented by International Paper, the luncheon will feature a about the necessity of early literacy by l of Memphis’ foremost literacy advocates.

The panel includes Dr. Kandi Hill-Clarke and Dr. Jason Yaun. Dr. Hill-Clarke is the Dean of the College of Education and a McRae Endowed Professor of School-Based Clinical Practice at the University of Memphis. Prior to joining the University of Memphis in January 2017, she served as Dean of the College of Education at Indiana State University. Dr. Hill-Clarke began her career as an elementary teacher with Germantown Schools. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education at LeMoyne-Owen College, a Master of Science in Reading Education at the University of Memphis, and a Doctor of Education in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership with a concentration in Reading Education, also at the University of Memphis.

Dr. Yaun is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a physician in the general pediatrics department at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Born and raised in Memphis, Dr. Yaun has always been an avid reader who has transformed his personal passion into a community mission as a champion of early childhood literacy. He completed his medical school and pediatrics training at UT Health Science Center. Since 2015, Dr. Yaun has served on the boardBooks from Birth. He has also brought the Reach Out and Read program to Le Bonheur where physicians free books for children from 6 months to age 5 during every well-patient visit.

Porter-Leath's , mails monthly, age-appropriate books to 46,000 Shelby County children age five. The books facilitate reading time with children, helping parents and caregivers create language-rich homes that yield lasting results beyond early childhood. 2017 over 6,000 Porter-Leath Preschool children Books from Birth, advancing Porter-Leath’s early childhood goal of achieving kindergarten readiness for all Shelby County children.

“We are thrilled to provide age-appropriate books for 70 percent of children through Books from Birth” said Sean Lee, Porter-Leath’s President. “We will continue to work toward ev.”

FedEx Event Center is located at 415 Great View Drive East. Luncheon tables of 10 are $750, and sponsorships are available. To learn more, visit porterleath.org/.

Books from Birth

17th Annual Toy Truck to Help Thousands of Local Children Served by Porter-Leath

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – International Paper will present the 17th annual Toy Truck to collect toys for 6,200 children, ages birth to age 5, served by Porter-Leath’s Preschool program. The toy drive will be held at the Poplar Collection Shopping Center from Wednesday, Dec. 5 through Saturday, Dec. 8. WMC Action News 5 will host the final stop on Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15.

 

Toy Truck, which began in 2000, invites local individuals, groups and businesses to fill a large truck with new, unwrapped toys for Porter-Leath Preschool children. The annual community campaign collects age-appropriate toys that promote early learning — such as dolls, trucks and building blocks.  This is the first year that Poplar Collection, home to Village Toymaker, hosts the toy drive. All gifts will be delivered to Memphis children who may not receive another gift over the holidays.

You can drop off new, unwrapped toys as well as cash, check or credit card donations from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Poplar Collection, 4615 Poplar Ave., from Wednesday, Dec. 5 through Saturday, Dec. 8, and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m at WMC Action News 5, 1960 Union Ave, on Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15. Visitors can also see Santa Claus at the Poplar Collection from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and at WMC from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. All monetary gifts delivered to Toy Truck, and made online, will be matched by a Secret Santa in the community.

“Toy Truck has inspired so much support from our community over the years, which has helped facilitate countless opportunities at home for children to learn through play,” said Rob Hughes, Vice President of Development at Porter-Leath. “We welcome our neighbors to come support our kids again at the Poplar Collection!”

Porter-Leath has served as a Shelby County Early Head Start provider for 20 years. In addition, the organization is the sole Head Start contractor to Shelby County Schools. The organization provides over 6,000 disadvantaged infants and toddlers with a high quality early childhood education at no cost, while also supporting their development through nutritious meals, health screenings, disability services, and mental health services.

Since its inception in 1850, Porter-Leath has cared for children with life challenges while continually broadening its programs to fill the community’s needs. The organization’s comprehensive range of early childhood services — Cornerstone, Preschool, Generations and Books from Birth — engages the child, family and community in an immersive learning experience that supports early social, emotional and cognitive growth. To learn more visit porterleath.org.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

SESAME WORKSHOP SELECTS MEMPHIS AS NEW COMMUNITY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD INITIATIVE

Pictured above: Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop with Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris

Sesame Street in Communities announces partnership
with ACE Awareness Foundation and Porter-Leath to provide resources and services to families and children

Memphis, Tennessee- Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, has announced that Memphis, Tennessee is the next community selected for Sesame Street in Communities (SSIC). SSIC is a nationwide initiative to support parents, caregivers, and community providers in their efforts to give all children, especially the most vulnerable, a strong and healthy start. Sesame Street in Communities selected Memphis because of the community’s existing collaborative efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of young children and families, and is partnering with the ACE Awareness Foundation and Porter-Leath to introduce the new initiative intended to advance support for local families and children under age six.

On Tuesday, December 4, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris will join representatives from Sesame Workshop, ACE Awareness Foundation, and Porter-Leath for a kick-off press conference to introduce the partnership. The press conference will be held at 10:00am at the Porter-Leath Early Childhood Academy with an interactive workshop for parents immediately following. 

“We’re thrilled to work with Sesame Street in Communities to bring more early childhood resources to young children living in Shelby County,” said Mayor Harris. 

“The Sesame Street characters are known to and loved by children everywhere. As a parent, I have seen firsthand how they stimulate wonderment and imagination, the building blocks for learning. SSIC will be providing our community with a range of tools from these beloved characters not only for amusement and entertainment, but for learning; it makes so much sense for Shelby County government to take a leadership role in assisting those who care for our children to reach and teach them as well as promote their social-emotional health by adopting the SSIC program.”

ACE Awareness Foundation and Porter-Leath will integrate Sesame Street in Communities into their programming, in-person events, and trainings. The ACE Awareness Foundation, which supports efforts to prevent adverse childhood experiences as well as mitigate their negative effects, will embed the Sesame Street in Communities resources into their programming at four Universal Parenting Places(UPPs) sites in Memphis. Since 2017, the UPPs have served local families and the community at-large by creating nurturing parenting environments and offering activities that strengthen family connections and enhance child development through counseling, emotional support, stress-reduction and parent-child activities. 

“It’s an exciting time at the ACE Awareness Foundation because of the partnership we’re developing with Sesame Street in Communities,” said Dr. Renée Wilson-Simmons, Executive Director of ACE Awareness Foundation. 

“It’s the name—Sesame Street—and all that it represents that is a plus for Memphis families, especially those who are coming to the Universal Parenting Places seeking help with family-related issues and concerns, both big and small, and could benefit from the additional resources that Sesame Street in Communitieswill provide to our sites.”

Porter-Leath, Tennessee’s oldest child-serving agency reaching 50,000 children and families each year, will embed Sesame Street in Communities resources into its professional development trainings for over 160 staff and use the Sesame content in its Cornerstone, Teacher Excellence, Books from Birth, Connections, and Preschool programs. Using Big Bird’s Comfy, Cozy Nest materials, Porter-Leath will also create five safe and comfortable spaces for children in Porter-Leath centers to help them cope during stressful experiences.

"Porter-Leath is thrilled about being a partner with Sesame Street in Communitiesas they launch in Memphis,” said Sean Lee, President, Porter-Leath.

“Porter-Leath is the leader in helping Memphis children and families succeed and we know that the Sesame Street in Communitiespartnership will continue to scale quality early childhood education resources in our area."

Sesame Street in Communities will also provide virtual courses, webinars, and videosthat can be embedded into programming to help children and families navigate challenges large and small. Using the power of the beloved Muppets of Sesame Street, the resources are designed to build coping skills and foster nurturing connections between children and the caring adults in their lives. All resources are available for free in English and Spanish at sesamestreetincommunities.org.

“We are thrilled to develop partnerships to bring Sesame Street in Communitiesto Memphis, a city dedicated to helping its youngest residents get a strong and healthy start in life,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. 

“By working hand-in-hand with providers like ACE Awareness Foundation and Porter-Leath, together we can build a circle of care around all children—particularly the most vulnerable.”

Sesame Street in Communities is made possible by generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Fund for Vulnerable Children. In addition to Memphis, Sesame Street in Communitieshas partnered with Guilford County, NC, Los Angeles, CA, Kansas City, MO, Transylvania County, NC, and the Mississippi Delta. Over the next five years, Sesame Street in Communities aims to reach 35 local communities across the country.

View press coverage from formal announcement on Tuesday, December 4, 2018: Commercial Appeal, Daily Memphian, WREG, Chalkbeat

____________________________________________________________________

ABOUT PORTER-LEATH

For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis through its mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle.

ABOUT ACE AWARENESS FOUNDATION

The Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Awareness Foundationis helping to create a Greater Memphis community—and catalyze a statewide movement—that understands the deep and long-lasting impactthat childhood trauma can have across the life span and supports innovative strategies that prevent toxic stress or lessen its negative effects on children and their families.  To support the healthy development of Memphis children, their families, and the community, the ACE Awareness Foundation developed Universal Parenting Places—UPPs.  These judgment-free zones are places where parents can go for help with family-related issues and concerns, both big and small. They receive professional counseling, information, emotional support, and referrals; participate in stress-reduction exercises, parent-child activities, and discussion groups; and build social support networks that extend far beyond the walls of the UPPs. Visit the ACE Awareness Foundation online at http://aceawareness.org.

ABOUT SESAME WORKSHOP

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re active in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.

 ABOUT THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitteror on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.

 ABOUT THE JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN

The Joan Ganz Cooney Fund for Vulnerable Children was established in 2018 to support content development, training for service providers, research, and implementation for Sesame Street in Communities. Made possible by a generous gift from Joan Ganz Cooney’s late husband Peter G. Peterson, the fund honors Ms. Cooney’s pioneering work as Sesame Street’s co-founder by furthering Sesame Workshop’s commitment to helping children overcome challenges big and small.

at Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Books from Birth Cornerstone Preschool Teacher Excellence Program

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Senior Adult Festival for Volunteers in DeSoto County

SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi – The first ever “Variety is the Spice of Life” Senior Adult Festival will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 9 from 9 a.m. through 2 p.m. at Brown Missionary Baptist Church.  Hosted by Porter-Leath’s RSVP, the Festival is a community fair for senior adults in DeSoto County looking to energize their daily routines with volunteer service. 

 “Senior volunteers offer our community invaluable skills, experience and insights,” said Merracle Jordan, Porter-Leath’s RSVP Coordinator. “Their service provides unique benefits to the people they help, and our Senior Adult Festival connects them to the programs where they can make the greatest impact.” In studies, regular volunteering has been shown to benefit seniors’ social, physical and mental health.  

RSVP is one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation for people 55 and over. Porter-Leath RSVP provides a range of volunteer services from mentoring disadvantaged youth to helping stock food pantries to tutoring in local libraries. RSVP volunteers also enjoy supplemental insurance, on-the-job training and networking opportunities. 

Brown Missionary Baptist Church is located at 980 Stateline Rd E., and the Senior Adult Festival will be held in the Church’s Fellowship Hall. The Festival is free and open to senior adults in DeSoto County. For more information, please call 901-577-2500 or email Merracle Jordan, RSVP Coordinator, at mjordan@porterleath.org.  

Posted by Mary Braddock at Thursday, September 27, 2018
Generations

More than a laundromat, this South Memphis center strengthens community and childhood literacy

Porter-Leath is passionate about providing literacy connections for children and their caregivers. The following article originally appeared Tuesday, August, 7, 2018 at www.highgroundnews.com.

AUTHORED BY LAUREN SQUIRES-READY, FOREVER READY PRODUCTIONS

While caregivers wash clothes at the Social Suds Resource Center laundromat, children can interact with the facility's Pinwheel Playroom where they can play, read, and take home books provided by Porter-Leath's Books from Birth program. 

By the third grade, less than 25 percent of Memphis children are reading at grade level, and many of these children live in low-resource neighborhoods where they have limited access to convenient and no-cost places to read and play. 

By meeting people where they are, the Pinwheel Playroom creates easy opportunities for families to read together. 

In September, The Urban Child Institute will open the city's second Pinwheel Playroom, to be located at the Broad Street Christ Community Health Clinic. They are seeking recommendations for two more locations. 

Support for this story was provided in part by the Urban Child Institute; it is one article in a series highlighting the impact and importance of early childhood education. The Urban Child Institute focuses its grant making, advocacy and community support on kindergarten readiness and third grade literacy in an effort to improve the education, health and well-being of children and families in Shelby County.

Monday, June 18, 2018

PBS NewsHour Special about Porter-Leath to Air June 19, 2018

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – PBS NewsHour recently visited Memphis to report on Porter-Leath’s work in early childhood development and education. One of the most trusted news programs in television, PBS NewsHour has provided reliable reporting of national and international news for over 40 years. The program is seen by over 4 million weekly viewers.

Scheduled to air June 19, the feature will follow Peabody Award-winning correspondent John Yang through a school day at Porter-Leath’s state-of-the-art Early Childhood Academy which provides comprehensive early childhood education and support services for 224 students. The Academy is also home to the Teacher Excellence Program, Porter-Leath’s professional development program to train successful early childhood educators.

“We’ve developed proven systems that define and promote success for young children and their families,” said Porter-Leath’s President, Sean Lee. “We are so excited to share our story on this national platform”

Since its inception in 1850, Porter-Leath has cared for children with life challenges while continually broadening its programs to fill the community’s needs. The organization’s comprehensive range of early childhood services — Cornerstone, Preschool, Generations and Books from Birth — engages the child, family and community in an immersive learning experience that supports early social, emotional and cognitive growth.

Posted by Mary Braddock at Monday, June 18, 2018
Teacher Excellence Program

Porter-Leath to Host Career Fair - Friday, May 18

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath recently announced that it will host a career fair on Friday, May 18 to hire new team members. The organization is now seeking teachers, family service workers and non-instructional staff to provide high-quality education and support services. Present and future openings include:

  • Certified Pre-K Teachers
  • Early Head Start & Head Start Teachers
  • Assistant Teachers
  • Family Service Workers
  • Maintenance Technicians
  • Custodians
  • Development Officer
  • Parent Educator

Porter-Leath brings vital early childhood education and family services to over 6,000 Shelby County children each year. “Our career fairs provide the perfect opportunity for our community’s most dedicated and dynamic professionals to help advance our mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle” said Rob Hughes, Porter-Leath’s Vice President of Development.  

The career fair will be held from 1 – 4 p.m. at Porter-Leath’s Early Childhood Support Center, 3400 Prescott Road. Candidates should arrive professionally dressed, with a cover letter, resume and transcripts. Certified Pre-K teachers must have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field, plus a Teachers License with Pre-K endorsement.

Recognized as a Top Mid-Size Workplace by Workplace Dynamics and The Commercial Appeal, Porter-Leath offers competitive salary, professional development plans, career advancement opportunities, 401k and 403b retirement plans and a team-based work environment.

Porter-Leath Welcomes Kelley Nichols as New Vice President of Teacher Excellence Program

Porter-Leath recently welcomed Kelley Nichols as the new Vice President of its Teacher Excellence Program, located at the Early Childhood Academy.  The Academy is a state-of-the-art preschool that provides comprehensive early childhood education and support services for 224 students in 16 classrooms. The Teacher Excellence Program is an early childhood teacher training program that provides professional development for Preschool teachers in partnership with Shelby County Schools. The Program teaches valuable skills that enhance teacher effectiveness, increase student achievement, and maximize classroom and family engagement.

As Vice President, Nichols will supervise the implementation and evaluation of the Academy’s Teacher Excellence Program. Before joining Porter-Leath, she worked as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Cornerstone Preparatory School, where she developed, managed and assessed teachers and coaches, as well as improved learning outcomes for children. She has also served in leadership roles at Aurora Collegiate Academy, Balmoral Baptist Church Pre-School and Shelby County Schools. Nichols has a Bachelor of Science in in Elementary Education from Crichton College, a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and is working towards her Doctor of Education in Leadership and Management from St. Thomas University.

"Kelley’s proven performance in public, private and charter schools brings invaluable experience and insight to Porter-Leath’s Teacher Excellence Program,” said Sean Lee, President of Porter-Leath. “We look forward to using her talents to lead a program that intensively supports early childhood educators so that all children enter kindergarten ready to learn."

Early Childhood Academy Wins Best New Construction Award

Porter-Leath won big last night at the Sixth Annual Building Memphis Awards, the Memphis Business Journal’s real estate recognition program honoring projects that create a positive community impact. The Building Memphis Awards recognize excellence in architecture, design, engineering, development and construction, as well as investment, employment and impact in the surrounding neighborhood.

Porter-Leath’s Early Childhood Academy, Memphis’ premier early childhood institute for student and teacher development, was selected as winner in the Best New Construction category. Designed by national early learning facility specialist RDG Planning and Design, the 16-classroom, 32,000-square-foot facility weaves local culture, history and geography into safe, inviting spaces that encourage play and exploration and was built by Flintco.

Accepting the award alongside staff and project partners, Porter-Leath President Sean Lee shared, “This was really a 10-year labor of love from the moment we said this would be a great project for South Memphis. …Today there are 224 of the cutest little people who are getting the best preschool education that they won’t pay a penny for, thanks to donors like you and all the foundations and individuals who gave to this project.”

The Academy provides comprehensive early childhood education and support services for 224 Early Head Start and Head Start students — as well as professional training and development for preschool teachers and educators. The first and only one of its kind, Academy establishes a continuum of early childhood education, from prenatal to age 5, that defines and promotes success for young children and their families.

The Award is the latest recognition for the Early Childhood Academy, which won the Great Plains Chapter ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Award of Excellence in September 2017.

Porter-Leath Launches New Parental Leave Policy

Porter-Leath recently announced a new parental leave policy that extends paid benefits to all new mothers and fathers. The policy, which took effect Jan 1. 2018, offers six weeks of paid leave to all new parents, including birth, adoptive and foster parents. 

Only about 12% of American companies currently offer paid maternity or paternity leave, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Porter-Leath’s new parental leave policy extends full pay to parents who have been employed for at least one year without requiring them to exhaust their sick and vacation leave first. “We want to allow our team members to take their parental leave without sacrificing other benefits,” said Porter-Leath’s President, Sean Lee. The policy enables employees to use their parental leave to bond with their new child, while reserving their sick and vacation leave to manage their family’s health and enjoy their company.

“Our new parental leave policy empowers both moms and dads to take a hands-on role in their family lives,” said Lee. “We are proud to lead the community in progressive policies that not only attract and retain the best talent, but also advance our values of putting families first.” 

Porter-Leath’s parental leave policy adds to a proactive benefits package that encourages employee growth and development. Recognized as a Top Mid-Size Workplace by Workplace Dynamics and The Commercial Appeal, Porter-Leath offers competitive salary, career advancement opportunities, 401k and 403b retirement plans and a team-based work environment.

Porter-Leath Names Rob Hughes Vice President of Development

Porter-Leath recently promoted Rob Hughes to Vice President of Development, where he will plan and implement a comprehensive development plan to advance the organization’s mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle. He brings 10 years of fundraising experience to his new role.

Hughes leads the funding of programs and services for the 50,000+ local children and families the organization serves. He also supervises Porter-Leath's two largest fundraising events each year —Toy Truck and the Rajun Cajun Crawfish Festival, which have grown to become landmark Memphis community events that raise over $100,000 each for Porter-Leath.

Since joining Porter-Leath in 2009, Hughes has played a key role in organizational growth from an $8M agency with 180 team members to a $30M+ nonprofit with 600 team members. He has helped expand Porter-Leath's Preschool program to include over 6,000 students who receive a high quality education at no charge. He will also direct the combined development teams of Porter-Leath and Books from Birth, which recently merged with Porter-Leath to promote kindergarten readiness for all Shelby County children by providing free, age-appropriate books from birth to age five.

Most recently, Hughes assisted in the capital campaign for Porter-Leath’s Early Childhood Academy, a state-of-the-art preschool and teacher training institute that provides comprehensive early childhood education and support services for 224 students as well as professional training and development for preschool educators. The Academy opened in 2017.

“Since joining us in 2009, Rob has helped Porter-Leath reach some our most important milestones for children and families,” said Sean Lee, President of Porter-Leath. “We are excited to recognize his accomplishments and announce his promotion. Rob's leadership will help Porter-Leath generate the resources it needs to continue to grow and thrive.”

A Memphis native, Hughes earned an MBA from Christian Brothers University and is a graduate of the New Memphis Institute’s Embark program, NEXUS, and Leadership DeSoto.

Books from Birth Becomes Newest Porter-Leath Program

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Effective July 1, 2017, Books from Birth merged to become Porter-Leath's newest program. Books from Birth (BfB), an affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, currently provides age appropriate books for nearly 70% of Shelby County children under age five. Children receiving books will not see a change in service, and all parents can continue enrolling their young children.

"We have admired the tremendous impact and measurable outcomes of Books from Birth. Combining it with Porter-Leath’s back office support and outreach capabilities, we expect the program to continue to grow and thrive as a universal intervention ensuring every child enters Kindergarten ready to learn" said Sean Lee, Porter-Leath President.

The Books from Birth Board of Directors will transition into an Advisory Council with two members serving on Porter-Leath’s governing board. Carol Seamons, Books from Birth Board Chair added, “Both organizations share a common vision of providing high-quality service for young children and their families. Our leadership looks to continue growing Imagination Library enrollment and expanding opportunities for early literacy in Shelby County.”

As part of the Porter-Leath family, Books from Birth staff will proceed raising funds for early literacy programming. Through the continued support of local donors and in partnership with the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF), the program will remain at no cost to enrolled families.

“Nearly twenty percent of children enrolled in Tennessee's Imagination Library live in Shelby County.” said Tennessee First Lady and Memphis native, Crissy Haslam. “I am grateful for Books from Birth's continuing efforts to prepare young children for success in school and a lifetime of learning as they transition to a new home at Porter-Leath.”

“Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation is proud to be the major funding partner for this program,” said Theresa Carl, GBBF President. “We know that BfB will continue to thrive as a program of Porter-Leath, impacting even more of Shelby County’s young children and families.”

Robert Fockler, President of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, sees the benefit of joining the two organizations. “This merger takes advantage of the strengths of both organizations: Books from Birth's staff can focus on putting books in the hands of every pre-school age child in Shelby County, and Porter-Leath -- already one of the best-managed agencies in our region -- can provide the strong guidance and back office that comes from being the leader in services to our children. It will make both efforts stronger.” he states.

Whether it is providing proven preschool education, supporting families with holistic wrap around services, or delivering age-appropriate books to a child, both organizations agree that layered investments in early childhood bring the greatest return to Memphis and Shelby County.

About Porter-Leath and Books from Birth

For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis through its mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle. Books from Birth promotes kindergarten readiness and strengthens family bonds in Shelby County by providing age-appropriate books for all children from birth to age five. For more information, visit porterleath.org.

Books from Birth

Porter-Leath Opens Early Childhood Support Center!

Porter-Leath is excited to announce the opening of its Early Childhood Support Center at 3400 Prescott Road! The ECSC will allow Porter-Leath to best serve clients in growing quality programs that now reach over 50,000 children under age five in Shelby County each year and unify over 100 staff in one location.

The Golightly Early Head Start Center at the Manassas campus will continue to serve 56 children and Sarah’s Place will continue to provide around-the-clock care for teens and runaway/homeless youth, all without interruption.

Porter-Leath has launched the Preserve the Past capital campaign to revitalize the former administrative building located on the Manassas Campus. For more information,​ please contact Rob Hughes at 901-577-2500 x 1167.​

 

Porter-Leath to Host Preschool Career Fair

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath recently announced that it will host a career fair on Thursday, April 13 to hire new Preschool staff to join its team. The organization is now actively seeking to fill more than 25 positions, including teachers, administrators and non-instructional staff to provide high-quality education and support services. Certified Pre-K Teacher candidates, who are of the greatest need, must have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field, plus a Teachers License with Pre-K endorsement.

As the Shelby County grantee for Early Head Start, contractor for Head Start grantee Shelby County Schools, and Pre-K provider for ASD and other districts, Porter-Leath has achieved meaningful results in advancing school readiness for disadvantaged children from birth to age five. Its professional team brings vital early childhood education and family services to over 5,900 Shelby County children each year.

“This is a great opportunity for our community’s most dedicated, responsible and caring professionals to play a role in preparing children for lifelong learning success,” said Karen Harrell, Porter-Leath’s Vice President of Early Childhood Services. Porter-Leath Preschool centers are all accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and maintain 3-star recognition from the Tennessee Department of Human Services’ Child Care Report Card System.

The career fair will be held from 1 – 4 p.m. at Porter-Leath’s Early Childhood Academy, 628 Alice Ave. Candidates should arrive professionally dressed, with a resume and transcripts. Recognized as a Top Mid-Size Workplace by Workplace Dynamics and The Commercial Appeal, Porter-Leath offers competitive salary, professional development plans, career advancement opportunities, 401k and 403b retirement plans and a team-based work environment.

About Porter-Leath

For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis through its mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle. For more information, visit porterleath.org.   

Preschool

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Porter-Leath Hosts Miss Tennessee Serves Day to Promote Early Childhood Literacy

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – On April 8, Miss Tennessee 2016, Grace Burgess, celebrated Miss Tennessee Serves Day at Porter-Leath American Way Head Start and Early Head Start, 4207 American Way. Presented by Shelby County Schools and Volunteer Tennessee, Miss Tennessee Serves Day is a day of service where Miss Tennessee and others in the Volunteer State come together to help meet the unique needs of their communities. Hosted by Porter-Leath, the event promoted Burgess’ chosen cause of early childhood education.

From 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., Burgess and her Court will led children in fun and games that promote their emergent literacy skills. Children were encouraged to wear fairy tale costumes to bring their favorite stories to life.  Other activities included a photo booth, cotton candy and moon bounce. Lunch was also provided.

As Miss Tennessee, Burgess travels over 80,000 miles speaking to 50,000 schoolchildren about character education. She is the Official Spokesperson for the Tennessee Reading Association and Governor Bill Haslam’s Books from Birth Foundation. She also serves as an Honorary Board Chair for Volunteer Tennessee as well as Tennessee’s Goodwill Ambassador for the five Children’s Miracle Network hospitals across the state. For the past six years, she has promoted childhood literacy through her “Ready, Set, Read!” program, which has donated over 5,000 new and used books to children across the state.

“Our dedicated volunteers make it possible for us to serve over 12,000 children and families every year,” said Karen Harrell, Porter-Leath’s Vice President of Early Childhood Services. “We are thrilled that Grace spent Miss Tennessee Serves Day celebrating both our volunteers and our children.” American Way Head Start and Early Head Start is one of Porter-Leath's 15 Preschool locations. Shelby County Schools serves as Head Start grantee and Porter-Leath serves as Early Head Start grantee for Shelby County. A special thanks to The Daily News for covering the event!

About Porter-Leath

For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis through its mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle. For more information, visit porterleath.org. 

About Miss America Serves

On Saturday, April 8, 2017, hundreds of Miss America contestants across the country will serve their local communities while raising funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Led by Miss America 2017, contestants and volunteers perform countless acts of kindness and ask their friends, family, and social networks to donate to the Miss America State Scholarship funds and to local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. For more information, visit MissAmerica.org/Miss-America-Serves.

About Volunteer Tennessee

Volunteer Tennessee is a State program that that strengthens Tennessee communities through volunteerism. Volunteer Tennessee engages citizens of all ages and backgrounds in community service opportunities addressing state challenges such as educational, safety, environmental and other human needs. For more information, visit TN.Gov.

 

Miss titleholders from around the state participated in Miss Tennessee Serves Day fun and games to promote early childhood education.

Miss Tennessee Valley Madison Snipes and Miss Scenic City Christine Williamson led story time.

Miss Tipton County Madison Butler read stories with the students.

Miss Music City Elizabeth Hale helped lead playful literacy activities.

Miss Tennessee Grace Burgess shared one of her favorite books.

Preschool children exercised early learning skills through costumes, face-painting and roleplay inspired by their favorite stories.

at Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Preschool

Friday, February 10, 2017

Early Childhood Academy Opens!

On February 10, 2016, Porter-Leath officially opened the Early Childhood Academy. The Academy is the place where Porter-Leath will bring together the very best people, programming, and partners to improve the lives of children and their families at Porter-Leath and throughout Shelby County. It is a state-of-the-art preschool for 224 Head Start and Early Head Start children ages six weeks to age five in South Memphis. Programming will involve children and their families in the highest-quality preschool setting, using evidence-based Head Start models while families receive ongoing supporting wrap-around services and training. The Early Childhood Academy will serve as a model for excellence for the education of young children and improves the quality of early childhood staff throughout and beyond Shelby County. 

The nicest early childhood education facility in the nation, it will house Porter-Leath's new Teacher Excellence Program, led by VP of Teacher Excellence, Rafel Hart. The Teacher Excellence Program creates a continuum of professional development and embedded training for early childhood educators across Shelby County. The program will utilize the design feature of the Academy - training center, observation bays, A/V technology - and highly skilled staff to provide high-quality professional development and motivation for Porter-Leath's Preschool teachers, as well as for teachers throughout Shelby County, including Shelby County Schools, Achievement Schools District, charter providers, and day home/care operators. 

The Teacher Excellence Program uses a vibrant team of twelve relief teachers and six instructional coaches so that classroom teachers may leave their students under the instruction of well-prepared staff and receive training from the absolute best early childhood educators. By embedding professional development and continual training, early childhood educators across Shelby County will continue Porter-Leath's work in increasing kindergarten readiness, particularly those in poverty. Children who enter kindergarten ready to learn are solidly on a path to be reading on grade level by third grade, which means they will graduate high school at least 90% of the time. 

"The Early Childhood Academy is our next step towards revitalizing the Shelby County early childhood education system,” said Sean Lee, President of Porter-Leath. “In the last two years, our dedicated educators have more than doubled the kindergarten readiness rate for children in poverty. The Early Childhood Academy will continue that work as we progress to ensuring every child enters school ready to learn. We look forward to making a meaningful and lasting impact on children and families in the Mid-South."

Quick facts:

  • Name: Porter-Leath Early Childhood Academy
  • Address: 628 Alice Ave - 38106
  • Classrooms: 16 - 8 Head Start/8 Early Head Start
  • Children: 224 - 160 Head Start/64 Early Head Start
  • Builder: Flintco   Tim Weatherford - Vice President
  • Architect: RDG Planning & Design from Omaha, NE     Ed Buglewicz - Architect
  • Ground Broken: March 15, 2016   
  • Completion: January 23, 2017

A special thanks to the many who have helped share the great news of the Early Childhood Academy:

Memphis Business Journal

Chalkbeat

Inside Memphis Business

WREG

The Tri-State Defender

Front door of Porter-Leath's Early Childhood Academy

 

 

 

Posted by Rob Hughes at Friday, February 10, 2017

Porter-Leath’s Early Childhood Academy Hosts Grand Opening Celebration

MEMPHIS, Tennessee –Porter-Leath recently announced the Grand Opening Celebration and ribbon cutting for its Early Childhood Academy, to be held at 628 Alice Avenue on Friday, February 10 at 1:00 p.m. The Academy is a state-of-the-art preschool and teacher training institute that will provide comprehensive early childhood education and support services for 224 students as well as professional training and development for preschool teachers and educators across the early childhood landscape in Memphis.

The Early Childhood Academy

Designed by national early learning facility specialist RDG Planning and Design, the 16-classroom, 32,000-square-foot facility weaves local culture, history and geography into safe, inviting spaces that encourage play and exploration. Its child-friendly architecture utilizes natural light, lush landscapes and bright colors that enrich learning opportunities. The facility will serve 224 students and their families combined between Early Head Start and Head Start components.

The Teacher Excellence Program

In addition to the Preschool, The Academy will also include a laboratory teacher training center to equip early childhood educators with valuable skills that enhance teacher effectiveness, increase student achievement, and maximize classroom and family engagement. Developed in partnership with Shelby County Schools, the Teacher Excellence Program utilizes instructional coaches to provide continual professional development opportunities for early childhood educators.

Executive Leadership

Rafel Hart joined Porter-Leath in July 2016 as the Vice President of its Teacher Excellence Program, where he and partners have administered the program's design, implementation and evaluation. Hart will supervise the program’s launch and continued development.

"The Early Childhood Academy is our next step towards revitalizing the Shelby County early childhood education system,” said Sean Lee, President of Porter-Leath. “In the last two years, our dedicated educators have more than doubled the kindergarten readiness rate for children in poverty. The Early Childhood Academy will continue that work as we progress to ensuring every child enters school ready to learn. We look forward to making a meaningful and lasting impact on children and families in the Mid-South."

About Porter-Leath

For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis through the mission of empowering children and families to achieve a healthy, optimal and independent lifestyle. For more information, visit or contact at 901-577-2500 or rhughes@porterleath.org. 

Porter-Leath Continues to Stress Attendance

Did you know that chronic absenteeism in kindergarten and even pre-K can predict low academic performance trends in later grades? According to a 2008 study conducted by the National Center for Children in Poverty, 1 in 10 children in kindergarten are chronically absent, missing one month per school year; and in some schools, it’s as high as 1 in 4. This study goes further to show that 2 in 10 children in poverty miss too much school, preventing young children from grasping fundamental reading and math skills critical to scaffolding instruction beyond the third grade.  Even the opportunity to build the basic habit of good attendance into college and career is missed. In Shelby County, over 28% of children district-wide are chronically absent, missing 28 days or more during the school year.  

Porter-Leath helps children overcome this challenge through early intervention in its Preschool program.  National studies have shown that Early Head Start and Head Start children are least likely to fall into chronic absenteeism.  They also have a low rate of receiving failing grades or failing an entire school year.

There are four key areas that attendanceworks.org identifies as the best solutions in preventing chronic absenteeism: engaging families, fixing transportation, addressing health needs and tracking the right data. The Porter-Leath Preschool program has positive results in each:

  1. Porter-Leath engages families in the earliest stages of education to build a culture of attendance through invention, community outreach, volunteerism, and incentives.  Porter-Leath works one-on-one with 5900 families to instill the habit of attendance for not only their children but also for themselves by engaging them to volunteer inside their child’s classroom or site, participate in monthly parent engagement activities, and to welcome home visits from teachers or family service workers at least four times during the school year.
  1. Porter-Leath prevents transportation issues by giving priority classroom assignments to students that live within the same zip code as the parent’s home address. Porter-Leath has Early Head Start, Head Start and/or Pre-K classrooms in 100% of all poverty-stricken zip codes in Shelby County. These zip codes were identified with families having annual incomes that fall below the Federal Poverty Level set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 2016 income threshold is $24,300 for a family of four.
  1. Health needs are among the leading reasons students miss school in early grades.  Medical challenges such as asthma and dental problems are two of the leading medical reasons preschool children are chronically absent. Porter-Leath Preschool works with medical professionals throughout Shelby County such as Le Bonheur LEAD and Asthmas Champs programs, Christ Community, and Watkins Family Dentistry while maintaining an internal medical action plan or profile for each child.
  1. Porter-Leath proactively oversees chronic absence patterns by tracking data through ChildPlus. This system goes beyond tracking average attendance or unexcused absences. Porter-Leath is able to breakdown attendance trends by child, classroom, site and program. Porter-Leath’s Performance and Quality reports monthly totals to all site managers to proactively address patterns of chronic absenteeism. Attendance goals for Early Head Start are 85% and 90% for Head Start and Pre-K. 

2016 Fall semester attendance data

With these effective systems in place, Porter-Leath is able to report successful outcomes like these:

  1. Cottonwood Head Start achieved a 91% attendance record in August with 180 preschoolers!
  1. Several classrooms at our American Way Head Start and Early Head Start preschoolers celebrated great attendance records during the first month of the school year with classrooms A, B, E, G, H, I and J achieving 95% or higher attendance, including Classroom H with 98% attendance!
  1. In our Connections program, Rayland H., a 5 year old kindergartener and foster-care child, has perfect attendance so far this year. He was only checked out once for a dental appointment, but he was at school on time even on that day. This is an awesome feat considering the difficulty of foster care children to achieve perfect attendance because so often, they have to leave school for court and doctor appointments. This success can be credited to dedicated foster care parents that were trained directly by Porter-Leath Connections staff and also, parental and child engagement through Tajuana Toliver, Rayland’s Porter-Leath case manager.
Preschool

Porter-Leath Welcomes Rafel Hart as Vice President of its Teacher Excellence Program

Porter-Leath recently welcomed Rafel Hart as the Vice President of its Teacher Excellence Program, located at the new Early Childhood Academy opening in 2017.  The Academy is a state-of-the-art preschool that will provide comprehensive early childhood education and support services for 224 students in 16 classrooms. The Teacher Excellence Program is an early childhood teacher training program that provides professional development for Preschool teachers in partnership with Shelby County Schools. The Program teaches valuable skills that enhance teacher effectiveness, increase student achievement, and maximize classroom and family engagement.

As Vice President, Rafel will supervise the design, implementation and evaluation of the Academy’s Teacher Excellence Program. In the 6 months ahead of the Academy’s Grand Opening, he will be planning class curriculum, staffing the program’s leadership and support positions and developing evaluation criteria. Before joining Porter-Leath, Rafel worked as the School Director of Educare New Orleans in partnership with Kingsley House, Inc. where he helped co-develop of the Gulf Coast Teacher Training Academy, a training and professional development program for early childhood education teachers in the Southern Louisiana. Rafel also worked with the of Educare New Orleans’ Local Evaluation & Assessment Team to lead the collaborative Research Program Partnership to improve learning and development outcomes for the children, goal development and self-sufficiency strategies for the families and workplace conditions for program staff. Rafel has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Southern University and A&M College and a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education from the Erikson Institute.

"Rafel’s extensive experience and proven performance in early childhood education will serve as a tremendous asset in preparing Porter-Leath Preschool children and their families for school and life success,” said Sean Lee, President of Porter-Leath. “We look forward to promoting, defining and achieving excellence at the Academy together."

Porter-Leath provides a high quality education for 6,000 low income children in Shelby County preschools, free of charge. The organization's early childhood goal is to prepare children for long-term learning success through high quality teachers, effective teaching practices and safe learning environments.  In addition to supporting children’s developmental growth, Porter-Leath provides health screenings, nutritious meals, disability services, parenting training and mental health support to build their school readiness.

Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service Celebrates Memphis Volunteers

Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, joined Mayor Jim Strickland to celebrate Mayor and County Recognition Day for National Service on April 6 at First Baptist Church. Mayor and County Recognition Day spotlights the key role national service volunteers play in meeting a wide range of community challenges. The event will also include a volunteer showcase for local elected officials illustrating the local impact of national service programs. Porter-Leath is home to two CNCS programs, AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. 

 AmeriCorps places young adults in organizations to solve community problems and mobilize volunteers to action. Over the past year, 20 AmeriCorps members served 28,733 hours in Porter-Leath Preschool classrooms, working directly with 67 children to develop individualized education plans, improve assessment results, and coordinate early learning enrichment activities. AmeriCorps members recruited 229 community volunteers who provided additional support to the classrooms throughout the year, while students scored 16% higher in assessments from mid to end year. 

Senior Corps connects adults 55+ to organizations that help them become mentors, coaches, or companions to people in need; Porter-Leath offers Senior Corps’ Foster Grandparent and RSVP programs. Over the past year, Foster Grandparents provided educational activities to 154 children ages 5-14, with 132 children showing increased improvement in reading and literacy skills. Foster grandparents also provided preschool educational activities to 169 children ages 1-5, with 169 children demonstrating improvement in emotional and cognitive skills. RSVP volunteers mentored 120 children ages 3-5, with 100% demonstrating improved classroom behavior and meeting educational and behavioral goals. RSVP also provided homework assistance and enrichment activities to 185 children ages 5-15, with 130 sustained mentor matches throughout the school year.  

 “National service volunteers have been an invaluable resource in addressing local challenges, rallying other volunteers, and making our community a better places to live,” said Judy Rautine, Generations Manager at Porter-Leath. Devoting over 200,000 hours of service,  AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs operate in 10 additional nonprofit and public sector sites in Memphis including Bridges USA, the City of Memphis, HopeWorks, Impact Memphis, Libertas School of Memphis, Literacy Mid-South, MIFA, Shelby County Schools, Memphis Teacher Residency, and Teach for America. First Baptist is located at 2835 Broad Ave. 

Read more about Mayor's Day 2016 at The Commercial Appeal.


About Porter-Leath 

For over 160 years, Porter-Leath has been the primary resource for Memphis' at-risk children and families. By focusing on the essential building blocks of healthy development, Porter-Leath not only gives them access to the tools they need, but also a sense of hope. Porter-Leath helps build stronger children, stronger families and a stronger Memphis. For more information, visit or contact at 901-577-2500 or jrautine@porterleath.org. 

About The Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that connects more than 5 million Americans to service opportunities in their communities. CNCS engages volunteers of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov.

Generations

New South Lauderdale Early Head Start Opens

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Administration for Children and Families has awarded Porter-Leath with federal funding to expand Early Head Start availability to 160 new Mid-South children, ages birth to three. Porter-Leath will partner with four local child care centers to prepare these children for school success — including Goodwill Homes Community Service, Inc., University Prep School, South Parkway East Kiddie Learning Center, and Southwest Tennessee Community College - Union Avenue Campus. In addition, Porter-Leath will open a new Early Head Start center providing comprehensive early childhood education services at 1940 S. Lauderdale St. Classes will begin Sept. 7 at S. Lauderdale and in October at partner locations.      

Early Head Start is a federal program that provides early child development and family support services for infants and toddlers from the highest risk families. The program uses the research-based Creative Curriculum to support children’s developmental growth while providing health screenings, nutritious meals, disability services, and mental health support to build their school readiness.  Each family is also assigned a family service worker to help them set and achieve individualized family engagement goals.    

Porter-Leath has 399 Early Head Start families enrolled.  As the Shelby County grantee for Early Head Start and a contractor to the local Head Start grantee, Shelby County Schools, Porter-Leath will serve 5,800 total children in the 2015-2016 school year.  The organization's early childhood goal is to prepare children and their families for long-term learning success through high quality teachers, effective teaching practices, safe learning environments and strong community partnerships.  

To learn more about this exciting new location, check out this story from WREG. For more information on the recent Early Head Start expansion related to South Lauderdale, click here.

SCS and Porter-Leath Early Childhood Partnership Achieves Success for Kids

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – A recent assessment by Shelby County Schools has revealed that 72 percent of incoming kindergartners from its Early Childhood programs demonstrate full academic readiness in foundational reading skills — an increase of 125 percent over the past year. SCS took over Memphis’ Head Start program from Shelby County government in 2014, increasing the number of students served by 3,000. The district contracts the operation of early childcare centers and wraparound services exclusively to Porter-Leath, which will serve 5,476 students in the 2015-2016 school year.      

Head Start is a federal program that provides early child development and family support services for children, ages 3-5, from the highest risk families.  With a comprehensive focus on all aspects of healthy development, the Head Start Approach to School Readiness means that children are ready for school, families are ready to support their children's learning, and schools are ready for children.   

School readiness goals for Porter-Leath and SCS are aligned with the Head Start Child Developmental & Early Learning Framework, the Tennessee School Readiness Model, and the Kindergarten Readiness Checklist for SCS. Ongoing evaluation of children’s learning and development progress is administered through Istation® computer-adaptive testing as well as Brigance assessments, which determine progress in language, motor, self-help, social-emotional, and cognitive skills. School readiness goals for the following year are adjusted based on student progress.      

Dr. Deanna McClendon, SCS’ Director of Early Childhood Programs said, “Our partnership with Porter-Leath has successfully combined accountability, experience and cooperation to not only deliver critical learning components but also meet the social and emotional needs of children and families.”    

"We are delighted to have doubled our school readiness scores, and continue to work towards our goal of 90 percent readiness," said Karen Harrell, Vice President of Early Childhood Services at Porter-Leath. “Reaching this landmark brings us closer to our vision of becoming a leader in helping Mid-South children and families succeed.” In addition to supporting children’s developmental growth, the program provides health screenings, nutritious meals, disability services, parenting training and mental health support to build their school readiness. 

Read more about this wonderful news for Memphis at Teach901

Porter-Leath Head Start and Corporate Partners Close the Summer Strong

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – As Porter-Leath enters the 2015-2016 school year, our students, families and employees will benefit from working with our corporate partners  to build a stronger Memphis.   

In July, Over 50 volunteers from Porter-Leath , Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance and AutoZone gathered at Porter-Leath’s  MLK Head Start location to paint the building’s 9 classrooms, pressure wash the playground and perform other cosmetic renovations. MLK Head Start serves 180 children each year.   

Later in August, Raymond James employees treated 20 families from Porter-Leath’s Douglass Head Start to a Redbirds game at AutoZone Park. In addition to watching the game, enjoying ballpark snacks, and meeting Rockey the Rockin' Redbird with students and their parents, Raymond James presented Porter-Leath with a $2,500 donation to celebrate the company’s Raymond James Cares Month.     

“Porter-Leath is able to build a stronger Memphis through support from our corporate partners,” said Rob Hughes, Development Director for Porter-Leath. “Our partners not only provide the much needed funds to help thousands of Mid-South children and families, but also the personal engagement to drive real change in the community.”   

Porter-Leath Preschool offers a comprehensive combination of quality home-based family services and onsite educational programs. Porter-Leath’s Preschool program provides high-quality preschool education for more than 5,800 of the highest-risk children in Shelby County annually, free of charge. 

Friday, June 19, 2015

We Live in Memphis! and Goodnight Memphis books given to over 4500 Porter-Leath Preschoolers

MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Porter-Leath recently announced the donation of Memphis-themed picture books to over 4,500 preschool children. The community-based organization will distribute Perre Magness’ “We Live in Memphis!” and Grace Hammond Skertich’s “Goodnight Memphis” to Early Head Start and Head Start classrooms in order to build school readiness skills for children ages 0-5. Magness and Skertich are local authors. 

Both “We Live in Memphis!” and “Goodnight Memphis” introduce children to colorful Memphis landmarks like the Mississippi River, Graceland, The University of Memphis, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The books also facilitate reading time with children, which helps parents and caregivers create language-rich homes that promote early literacy.  The book donation encourages summer learning retention while maintaining the reading skills that the children have developed over the school year. “When kids are read to, listen to words, and talk about the stories, it helps prepare them for a lifetime of learning,” said Mike Warr, Executive Vice-President of Development and New Business for Porter-Leath. With goals of exposing infants and toddlers to increased book reading and enhancing their pre-reading skills, Porter-Leath’s early literacy programs have insert data on student gains/ measurable education metrics.

Read more about the book donation in The Daily News, Memphis Flyer and The Tri-State Defender articles.



WMC Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee
Posted by Rob Hughes at Friday, June 19, 2015

Family Rewards 2.0 First Evaluation Released

The first report evaluating the Family Rewards 2.0 model has been released. Porter-Leath is a proud partner of the project in Memphis as part of our Cornerstone program. For more information, or to access the report, please click here.