Aspire Public Schools Memphis Region Announces New Name – Journey Community Schools

Today former Aspire Public Schools Memphis Region shared with the community the name and branding for the new charter organization – Journey Community Schools (JCS). The event was held at Hanley Elementary School with community leaders and partners in attendance to share in the new branding review celebration.

The new slogan for the network is “Paving Pathways to Success.” The vision is to develop a community of lifelong learners who excel in all areas of life. The Journey Community Schools mission is to engage families and community partners in scholars’ learning journey; cultivate a safe, positive and joyous learning environment; and empower teachers and leaders with support to deliver an inclusive, innovative and rigorous education. The new logo speaks to collective work efforts, a clear path, equipping scholars and working towards achieving academic goals.

This process was a community effort. “As we embark on this new journey as a locally-operated charter organization, it was imperative to me and our leadership team to include the voices of our families, community, staff and external partners. We also believe that schools and communities should work alongside one another in partnership,” said Dr.  Nickalous Manning, Executive Director, Journey Community Schools.

“As a board member of JCS, we are excited for the future,” said Karen Hartridge. “The new branding speaks to the opportunities that lie before us. Today’s event was a great way to engage with our communities while sharing more about the path forward.”

The Journey Community Schools network includes Hanley Elementary School, Hanley Middle School, Coleman School and East Academy.

For more information on Journey Community Schools visit the website www.myjourneycs.org.

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Aspire Memphis Slated to Become Independent, Locally-Operated Charter Management Organization

The Aspire Public School’s Board of Directors voted today to make its Aspire Memphis region an independent, locally-operated charter management organization.

Over the next 12-18 months, with continued support from the Aspire home office, all operational responsibilities at the four Memphis schools–Hanley Elementary, Hanley Middle School, Coleman Elementary and Aspire East Academy–will be transitioned to a new nonprofit organization and managed by a local board of directors. The schools will officially transition at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. During the transition period, the schools will remain part of Aspire.

“Our team, our scholars and I have gained so much from the affiliation with Aspire Public Schools and their leadership,” said Dr. Nickalous Manning, Superintendent, Aspire Memphis. “The time is right to begin this transition and we believe it will benefit all of our scholars and families to have an organization fully based here in Memphis managing our four schools.”

Aspire Memphis serves approximately 1,600 predominantly low-income African American scholars across three neighborhoods: Raleigh, Orange Mound, and Hickory Hill. Academic achievement in math and reading across the four schools currently paces schools serving similar students in Tennessee.

“We have every confidence in Dr. Manning and the local team and look forward to seeing these Memphis schools continue to thrive,” said Mala Batra, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Aspire Public Schools. “Dr. Manning and his team have shown a deep commitment to high-quality academic instruction and have developed incredible relationships within the Memphis community. They are well positioned to take these schools to new heights in service of scholars and families.”

About Aspire Public Schools

Aspire Public Schools operates 40 high-performing, college-preparatory public charter schools serving 17,000 scholars in underserved communities across California and Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1998, Aspire is one of the nation’s largest open-enrollment public charter school systems serving predominantly low-income students, delivering a rigorous College for Certain education across grades TK-12. Currently in its 19th academic year, Aspire is one of the nation’s first charter school systems. Visit Aspire Public Schools at www.aspirepublicschools.org.

901 Keep It Clean Memphis!

City of Memphis Launches Anti-Litter Campaign to Combat Blight

The City of Memphis is leading the way in combating littering and blight in our city. The City is issuing a call-to-action urging all residents to keep Memphis clean through the “901 Keep It Clean” campaign. The Memphis City Beautiful Commission launches the campaign this month. Participants include: Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, University of Memphis Head Basketball Coach Penny Hardaway, the Grizz Girls, Spoken Word Artist Sebastian Carson and Christ Missionary Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Gina Stewart. The campaign will launch on multiple platforms including television, radio, print, digital, and social media.

Memphis City Beautiful Commission Executive Director Eldra T. White leads the city’s beautification efforts. “Sweep around your own porch first,’ is what we would consistently hear from our parents growing up,” said White. “This is essentially what we’re saying with this campaign. Memphis is our home. We are all responsible for its upkeep. Each and every resident is a stakeholder in keeping our city clean.”

Research shows that a major demographic of litterers are young women and men ages 16-34. The City of Memphis and Memphis City Beautiful are educating the public on the negative impact litter and blight has on the city. A campaign goal is to start a discussion focused on anti-littering and blight and serve as a call-to-action for general pride in our city.

A major focus of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration is blight reduction. “Memphis is a city rich in cultural history and significance,” said Strickland. “It is our obligation as citizens to not let blight and litter create a barrier between us and opportunity. People come from all over the world to patronize our city and we want that to continue,” said Strickland.

To learn more about the “901 Keep It Clean” Campaign visit www.memphiscitybeautiful.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter: @mem_beautiful and Instagram: @memphiscitybeautiful. Also follow or join the conversation at #901keepitclean.

About Memphis City Beautiful:

Memphis City Beautiful was officially established by a city ordinance in 1930, making it the first and oldest beautification commission in the nation. The goal was to make Memphis a beautiful and safe place to live.  Currently, the Commission focuses on providing public education programs and other services designed to encourage all members of our community to take responsibility for improving the environment in which they live. The Commission also supervises beautification projects designed to enhance the appearance of parks and other public spaces throughout Memphis.

BlueCross Breaks Ground on David Carnes Park Project

Park design unveiled as Memphis neighborhood marks next phase of $5.4-million ‘BlueCross Healthy Place’ effort

In a June 14 ceremony, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation broke ground at Memphis’ David Carnes Park on the first project under its new strategic focus, the BlueCross Healthy Place program.

The ceremony, which marks the beginning of the construction phase of the project, followed extensive planning and input from residents of the Whitehaven neighborhood where the park is located. Development of the space will continue throughout the summer with the aim of opening the revitalized park by the end of the year.

In attendance from the city were Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Councilwoman Patrice Robinson.

“Reinvesting in our neighborhoods is a major part of what we’re doing at City Hall, but we can’t do it alone. I can’t thank the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation enough for this multi-million-dollar investment in this park, in Whitehaven, and in helping Memphians connect with one another through public spaces,” said Strickland.

The event, held at Greater Faith Tabernacle Ministries adjacent to the park, began with a design reveal, showing attendees the elements that will appear in the redesigned space. Among these were a play area, a new walking track, an adult fitness area and a splash pad, all requested by local residents.

Kevin Woods, BlueCross Memphis market president, welcomed the attendees. “We’re excited to be breaking ground on this project as envisioned by the community it is intended to serve. The BlueCross Healthy Place at David Carnes Park will provide Whitehaven residents a reimagined public space to connect with one another and stay active,” he said.

Following the reveal, attendees watched as Strickland, Robinson, Woods and Scott Wilson, director of community relations and foundation for BlueCross, officially broke ground on the project. Afterwards, the group was invited to explore the park and visit stations containing additional information about the redesign.

Wilson said, “The David Carnes Park project has been a true partnership with the residents of the Whitehaven area, and the design reflects their input.”

The project is the first of many that will take place across the state through the BlueCross Healthy Place program.

For the latest updates on the project at David Carnes Park, please visit https://bettertennessee.com/tag/bluecross-healthy-place/.

Additional resources related to the BlueCross Healthy Place program are available at https://bcbstnews.com/mediaresources/bluecross-healthy-place-program.
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About BlueCross®

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.5 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.bcbst.com.

About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc.

 The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc. (THF) was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. THF awards grants focused on high-impact initiatives across the state that promote better health.

 

TENNESSEANS DROP OFF MORE THAN 10 TONS OF PILLS DURING SPRING

TAKE-BACK EVE

Tennessee collected an impressive 20,590 pounds of prescription drugs during the DEA’s 15th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 28.

For Count It! Lock It! Drop It! those statistics continue to indicate that its efforts are paying off. CLD is a community program for prescription drug misuse that works to raise awareness about ways to keep drugs, especially opioid pain medication, out of abusers’ hands and how to properly dispose of them.

The CLD program was begun as a local initiative by the Coffee County Anti-Drug Coalition, but it expanded its support training and outreach efforts to 80 counties following a $1.3 million grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation in 2016. In addition, CLD played a key role in getting a prescription drop box established in all of Tennessee’s 95 counties. With the help of organizations such as coalitions, health councils and law enforcement departments, it has distributed 148,000 campaign materials.

As part of its outreach, it has heavily promoted the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day encouraging people to properly dispose of unused and expired prescription pain pills along with other medications sitting around their homes.

Overall, the DEA’s Take-Back Day was a huge success, not only in Tennessee, but nationwide. A record-setting 475 tons of expired and unwanted prescription medications were collected at more than 6,000 sites across the United States.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the take-back results in Tennessee,” said Kristina Clark, CLD project manager. “This event continues to increase awareness of the need to safely dispose of unused pain medication, and we want to continue to encourage everyone to take part in helping us fight the opioid epidemic.”

Dr. Andrea Willis, senior vice president and chief medical officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, says these results reinforce the Health Foundation’s decision to work with Count It! Lock It! Drop It! to help address the epidemic.

“We know firsthand the importance of confronting the opioid crisis in Tennessee,” Dr. Willis said. “It has been incredibly rewarding to work alongside CLD and help expand the program across the state. Each year, Tennesseans turn in an impressive amount of medication, and we have no doubt this is due in part to CLD’s efforts to educate the state on the dangers of prescription medication misuse.”

Tennessee has been participating in the DEA’s take-back events since 2010, and more than 205,000 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription pills have been collected.

About CLD

Count It! Lock It! Drop It!® (CLD) is a comprehensive community program for prescription drug misuse prevention based in Coffee County, Tenn. With support from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, and the community at large, the program is leading a statewide education effort to combat the misuse and abuse of prescription pain medication. According to the Tennessee Department of Health, 7,636,112 opioid prescriptions were written in 2016, and it is CLD’s mission to make the community aware of the risks and dangers associated with the prescription drug misuse epidemic.

 

About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc., was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation awards grants focused on high-impact initiatives across the state, which promote healthy lifestyle choices and help control health care costs for all Tennessee residents. Working with civic and economic partners, the foundation is dedicated to the support of research, innovative programs and creative approaches to improve the health and quality of life of Tennesseans for generations to come.

 

About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at bcbst.com.

 

Nominations Open to Honor locals for Civil & Human Rights work

Trailblazer Awards Presented by the City of Memphis

 The Memphis Heritage Trail, in collaboration with the City of Memphis’ Division of Housing and Community Development, is accepting nominations for the 2017 Trailblazer Award. The award honors Memphians for advancing civil and human rights and for carrying the torch to uphold African-American history and culture.

Criteria for the award includes: contributions to underserved populations through intellectual courage, written or verbal communication or creativity in the arts; contributions to support underserved populations through education or awareness and helping secure the cultural and historical legacy for future generations. Recipients must also have resided in Shelby County at one time and have a favorable overall reputation.

Nominations will open on Friday, November 3, 2017 and close Friday, November 17, 2017. Those interested in nominating a citizen should visit http://memphisheritagetrail.com/mht-nomination/ to complete the nomination process.

“This is a great honor for us to recognize these individuals,” said Felicia Harris, manager of Planning and Development for the City of Memphis. “Without these trailblazers, we wouldn’t have a Memphis Heritage Trail. Their efforts in our community should be celebrated.”

The Memphis Heritage Trail is a historic 60-block redevelopment area in downtown Memphis. The project has been in the works since 2008 and includes the area bordered by Beale Street on the north, Main Street on the west, Crump Boulevard on the south and Walnut Street on the east. Community assets within the area are: Clayborn Temple,

Mason Temple, Universal Life Building and the National Civil Rights Museum. In Memphis, it is considered the epicenter of African-American history, heritage and culture and will include a walking trail with historical markers.

The 2016 Memphis Trailblazers:

Yvonne & David Acey         Happy Jones                         Mark Stansbury

Ekundayo Bandele             Robert Lipscomb                  Judge Russell Sugarmon

Joyce Blackmon                   Marion Mitchell                     Calvin Taylor

Ruby Bright                           Dr. James Netters                Henry Turley

Attorney Mike Cody             Charlie Newman                  Elaine Lee Turner

Erma Clanton                       O C Pleasant                                    Rosalind Withers

Fred Davis                             James D’eke Pope              Jocelyn Wurzburg, J.D.

Bishop William Graves       Beverly Robertson               Jan Young/Assisi Foundation

Rev. LaSimba Gray             Diane Rudner                      Dr. Coby Smith

 

 

About MHT

Memphis Heritage Trail is an expansive plan to celebrate the rich business, culture and musical heritage of African-American achievements in Memphis. The project brings historical tourism, urban redevelopment and city-wide pride to important public spaces. For more information visit http://memphisheritagetrail.com/.

Count It! Lock It! Drop It! Adds New Communities to Program

Growth Sparked by BlueCross Health Foundation Grant

 

Count It! Lock It! Drop It! ™ (CLD), a comprehensive community program for prescription drug abuse prevention, has added 26 counties since its statewide launch last summer.

In June 2016, the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation approved a grant to fund the program’s expansion to areas identified as “hot spots,” which are counties with high numbers of prescriptions dispensed, overdose deaths and babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The program, now offered in 58 counties, suggests three simple steps that anyone can practice to keep their medications out of the wrong hands:

 

  • Count pills every two weeks to monitor theft and help ensure medications are taken properly;
  • Lock and store medications in a secure place where others would not think to look; and
  • Dispose of unused or expired medications at drop boxes or during take-back events.

 

“Prescription drug misuse has reached epidemic levels in the state of Tennessee,” said Kristina Clark, CLD project manager. “Becoming a CLD community is an easy way for local law enforcement and anti-drug coalitions to encourage their residents to closely monitor their prescriptions, especially ones for opioids.”

Communities that have recently joined the program include:

 

 

  • Benton County
  • Carroll County
  • Cocke County
  • Claiborne County
  • Crockett County
  • Cumberland County
  • Decatur County
  • Dyer County
  • Fayette County
  • Fentress County
  • Gibson County
  • Giles County
  • Greene County
  • Hancock County
  • Hardin County
  • Henderson County
  • Humphreys County
  • Lauderdale County
  • Lawrence County
  • Lincoln County
  • Loudon County
  • McMinn County
  • Polk County
  • Scott County
  • Sevier County
  • Union County

 

 

“We are proud of the program’s success so far, but we know there is more work to do,” said Roy Vaughn, executive director of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation. “It’s exciting to have these new communities join the fight to combat one of the state’s most concerning public health issues.”

In addition, CLD partnered with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to locate a drug disposal drop box in all 95 counties.

For more information on joining Count It! Lock It! Drop It! ™ or to locate a drop box, visit www.countitlockitdropit.org.

 

About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc., was established in December 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation awards grants focused on high-impact initiatives across the state, which promote healthy lifestyle choices and help control health care costs for all Tennessee residents. Working with civic and economic partners, the foundation is dedicated to the support of research, innovative programs and creative approaches to improve the health and quality of life of Tennesseans for generations to come.

 

About BlueCross®
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at bcbst.com.

 

Vintage901 Introduces Lowcountry Boil Event

Vintage901 is back August 19, 2017 for its Lowcountry Seafood Boil event. A Cordova farm will be transformed into a seafood diner’s delight from 6 – 10 p.m. with wine pairings that will compliment the lowcountry cuisine.

The family-style seafood feast of boiled shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, corn and sausage will also feature music by a Memphis band. Tickets for the event are $50 and can be purchased at www.vintage901.com. VIP packages are $75 and include table service and a book by the Grand Sommelier Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach.

“Our inaugural festival was such a great success, I was eager to plan the next event,” said Vintage901 Organizer Stephanie Ferreira. “This is edutainment. I want people to learn about wine and have fun. Wine can be paired with anything.”

Forster is one of America’s leading wine experts and author of the award-winning book The Sipping Point: A Crash Course in Wine. She is a certified sommelier, national speaker and TV personality who is not afraid to tell you her first wine came from a box. Her edgy approach to demystifying wine has led her to guest appearances on Dr. Oz, FOX Morning News, Martha Stewart Living Today and ABC News at Noon.

For more information, visit www.vintage901.com. Follow them on social media at: www.facebook.com/Vintage901, Twitter: @Vintage901Fest and Instagram: @Vintage901Fest.

About Vintage901

Established in March of 2017, Vintage901 is a three-day wine festival complete with tastings, tapas, salsa, soul and jazz that brings the world to Memphis, Tennessee to celebrate wine, food and music. It features the best in artisanal wines, an array of local flavors with a nod to global sensibilities and music that blends the classic and the eclectic.

 

 

Memphis Heritage Trail Introduces Curriculum On Memphis History

Pilot Program Tested at Kirby High School

 The Memphis Heritage Trail (MHT) is rolling out a pilot educational curriculum this summer featuring the historical locations on the trail. The curriculum’s pilot was tested to entering freshman at Kirby High School’s Summer Institute June 6-9, 2017.

After the pilot is completed and reviewed, plans are in the works for it to be available to Shelby County School teachers this fall. The curriculum roll out will coincide with a MHT smartphone app that will be launched in conjunction with the 50th commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. death, April 2018.

“This is a wonderful accompaniment to the trail,” said Felicia Harris, manager of Planning and Development for the City of Memphis. “This curriculum will teach the youth in our city about our historic people, events and places, and the trail will allow them to see first-hand where history took place. I must thank MHT volunteer Lauren Barksdale, who developed the curriculum, for all of the work she has put into it.” Ms. Barksdale is a history teacher at Kirby High School.

The curriculum, for grades K-12, is broken into four units based on aspects of Memphis heritage and creative devices such as writing, art, graphic design and music. It focuses on figures and events in Memphis history such as Robert Church and the Church legacy, the all-black military units who fought during the Civil War (Fort Pickering) and the legacy of Beale Street.

“We wanted to base the curriculum around what makes up the city’s heritage,” said Barksdale. “There’s no way to tell the story of the city without mentioning the Civil Rights Movement, the Civil War, and our cultural gems. However, we wanted to include lesser

known narratives that make up our heritage that give a full scope of this city’s beauty.”

The MHT is a historic 20-block redevelopment area in downtown Memphis. The project has been in the works since 2008 and includes the area bordered by Beale Street on the north, Main Street on the west, Crump Boulevard on the south and Manassas Street on the east. Buildings within the area are: Clayborn Temple, Mason Temple, Universal Life Building and the National Civil Rights Museum. It is considered the epicenter of African-American history, heritage and culture and will include a walking trail with historical markers.

About MHT

Memphis Heritage Trail is an expansive plan to celebrate the rich business, culture and musical heritage of African-American achievements in Memphis. The project brings historical tourism, urban redevelopment and city-wide pride to important public spaces. The borders are Beale Street, Main Street, Crump Boulevard and Manassas Street. More information is available at http://memphisheritagetrail.com/.

 

Tennesseans, Spring-Clean Your Medicine Cabinets: National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is April 29

 BlueCross Health Foundation, Count It! Drop It! Lock It!™ promote medication safety by hosting collection events across the state

In an effort to fight opioid abuse, Tennessee residents are invited to bring their unused or expired prescriptions to one of more than 100 National Prescription Drug Take-Back events being held statewide on April 29 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The event aims to provide safe, convenient locations to dispose of prescription drugs and other medications and to raise awareness about the potential risks for abuse and misuse of certain medications, such as opioids.

This year, more drug take-back sites are available in Tennessee than ever before, thanks in part to the efforts of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation-sponsored Count It! Drop It! Lock It!™ program, which has helped place secure, permanent drop boxes in all 95 counties.

“It’s important to get rid of old or unused drugs,” explains Dr. Andrea Willis, chief medical officer of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. “Prescription opioid abuse is a serious public health issue, and more than half of Tennesseans who use prescription painkillers recreationally say they got them from friends and family.”

“These bi-annual events offer a convenient and safe way for individuals to protect themselves and their loved ones from potential and unintentional harm,” said CLD co-developer Kristina Clark. “It’s worth it to take a few minutes to search through medicine cabinets or other storage places and bring unneeded drugs to a Drug Take-Back Day event.”

The Count It! Drop It! Lock It!™ program, expanded statewide in 2016 with a $1.3 million grant from the BlueCross Health Foundation, encourages community members to:

 

  • Count It! Count pills once every two weeks to monitor theft and help ensure medications are taken properly.
  • Lock It! Lock and store them in a secure place where others would not think to look.
  • Drop It! Take unused or expired medications to drop boxes located in participating law enforcement offices or pharmacies, or during bi-annual take-back events.

 

Tennesseans can find their nearest prescription take-back location online at countitlockitdropit.org.

 

 

About Count It! Drop It! Lock It!™

 

Count It! Drop It! Lock It!™ (CLD) is a comprehensive community program for prescription drug abuse prevention that began in Coffee County, Tenn. Today, CLD is actively represented in 44 counties across Tennessee. For more information, visit countitlockitdropit.org.

 

About BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc.

The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation, Inc. was established in December, 2003 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized to promote the philanthropic mission of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. The foundation awards grants focused on high-impact initiatives across the state, which promote healthy lifestyle choices and help control health care costs for all Tennessee residents. Working with civic and economic partners, the foundation is dedicated to the support of research, innovative programs and creative approaches to improve the health and quality of life of Tennesseans for generations to come.

 

About BlueCross®

 

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s mission is to provide peace of mind through better health. Founded in 1945, the Chattanooga-based company is focused on serving more than 3.4 million members in Tennessee and across the country. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Inc. is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. For more information, visit the company’s website at bcbst.com.