What role can neighborhoods play in education? This question was top of mind when, in early 2015, Center for Transforming Communities (CTC) and our Shalom Zone partners began focusing on education in three Memphis neighborhoods: South Memphis, Highland Heights, and Hickory Hill. As an organization, CTC is about strengthening neighborhoods. Through our Communities of Shalom program, we convene grassroots coalitions of neighborhood stakeholders – what we call Shalom Zones – to work together to address the many interconnected issues impacting quality of life in their neighborhoods. By 2015, we had helped form a network of 8 Shalom Zones in neighborhoods throughout the Memphis area, 3 of which w

Last fall, Center for Transforming Communities (CTC) provided grants to three Shalom Zones to help them implement projects to improve education in their neighborhoods. These were small grants, but we knew that even a small amount of resources in the hands of our Shalom Zone partners could have big impacts. All three participating Shalom Zones have wrapped up their projects, and this week we’ve been posting about their accomplishments. On Monday, we wrote about how the South Memphis Shalom Zone pulled together local resources to offer an ACT prep and college readiness program in their neighborhood. On Tuesday, we wrote about The Corners of Highland Heights and how the parents of the kids enro

Editor's Note: Last fall, Center for Transforming Communities (CTC) provided grants to three Shalom Zones to help them implement projects to improve education in their neighborhoods. These were small grants, but we knew that even a small amount of resources in the hands of our Shalom Zone partners could have big impacts. All three participating Shalom Zones have wrapped up their projects, and over the coming days we’re going to be posting about their accomplishments. Yesterday, we wrote about how the South Memphis Shalom Zone pulled together local resources to offer an ACT prep and college readiness program in their neighborhood. Today, read about The Corners of Highland Heights and how the

Editors Note: Last fall, Center for Transforming Communities (CTC) provided grants to three Shalom Zones to help them implement projects to improve education in their neighborhoods. These were small grants, but we knew that even a small amount of resources in the hands of our Shalom Zone partners could have big impacts. All three participating Shalom Zones have wrapped up their projects, and over the coming days we’re going to be posting about their accomplishments. Up first: the story of how the South Memphis Shalom Zone pulled together local resources to offer an ACT prep and college readiness program in their neighborhood. Like many of the projects CTC and the Shalom Zones participate in,

Last week, the 2016 Neighborhood History Project came to a close. On Monday evening, the four youth history interns from Highland Heights gathered with their neighbors at Highland Heights United Methodist Church and shared stories of their summer – shared how they had grown in appreciation for their community’s history, for their elders, and for each other. The next evening, the three youth history interns from South Memphis gathered with their neighbors at Evening Star Missionary Baptist Church, and did the same. By all accounts, the 2016 Neighborhood History Project was a tremendous success. I couldn’t be prouder of what our youth interns accomplished this summer, or of the hard work put i