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If you are reading this newsletter, chances are strong that you are committed to our city and are probably engaged in multiple conversations per week about some of the issues facing our community. If you are like me, you are always ready to share the positive news and this week, I want to give you even more great things to talk about.
A few weeks ago I had a really interesting discussion with Behavior Analyst, Brittain Wells, about the way we think about crime and other problem behaviors, especaially when it comes to problem behaviors in young people. And this week, I sat down with Director Brian Harris of our Office of Youth Services (OYS) to talk about two of the programs that truly have the potential to change the future of our City. Both conversations help to inform my thinking about our community and what we need to do in addition to increasing our MPD and justice system efforts.
I’ve included parts of my conversation with Director Harris below, along with a link to the full video. We spoke about two of the most successful OYS programs: MAP (Memphis Ambassador Program) and the newly created BOSS (Building Out Successful Students) program. To understand why these incentive-based programs might be just what we need to shift behavior, I would ask that you watch my conversation with Brittain (linked here).
 Both programs are available to Memphis and Shelby County Schools students in grades 9-12 and between the ages of 14-18. MAP requires a 3.0 GPA or above as part of the acceptance criteria, while BOSS does not require a minimum GPA for acceptance. Both programs pay a monthly stipend based on the participant earning 14 credit hours per month. 12 hours come from attending twice-weekly 1.5-hour after-school sessions, one hour of community service as a group, and a one-hour parent meeting.
The current summer enrollment is 110 for the MAP program and 70 for the BOSS program. Registration for the Fall 2024 MAP program shows 270 students, and BOSS at 128 students so far. BOSS has a rolling application period and has growth potential to accommodate up to 850 students.
Currently, Youth Services is contracting with the University of Memphis Center for Community Research and Evaluation (CCRE) to determine the effectiveness of the programs and their impact on enrolled students and the City of Memphis as a whole.
Data will be used to show the improvement of the students within the MAP and BOSS programs as compared to results from a recently completed CCRE Youth Risk Behavioral Survey of students in grades 9-12. It will also be used to compare the changes over time between the students of the MAP and BOSS programs.
As of now, both programs operate in 9 of our 77 MSCS middle and high schools. After learning more about these life-changing programs, I believe we need to find ways to offer these programs to even more of our students. Please read a portion of our conversation below or watch the full video (link below). I think you will agree with me.
 The Office of Youth Services BOSS program empowers young Memphians ages 14-18 through mentorship, access, and opportunity. Here is what they had to say about their experience.
MAYOR PAUL YOUNG: Welcome, Director Harris. Thank you. To talk to you today. I know this is a new role for you as director of Youth Services. So, how has it been for you? Have you enjoyed the role?
OFFICE OF YOUTH SERVICES, DIRECTOR BRIAN HARRIS: I'll tell you, this has been month six. And it's been great working with young people and just hearing their stories, the exposure we're giving them shows the life we have in our city and the potential for the future, which is very strong and great.
MAYOR PAUL YOUNG: I know you all have a number of programs, but I want to hear specifically about the MAP program. How long has that been around, and how does it work?
DIRECTOR BRIAN HARRIS: The MAP program - or Memphis Ambassador Program - has been around for 20-plus years, it started under Director Sarah Lewis, the late Sarah Lewis, and it was reborn in 2015. It's a year-round after-school program and has evolved over the years.
Since I've been in this position, there's been a greater need to serve even more children. The average GPA in Memphis and Shelby County Schools right now is around a 2.4, in a district that has 110,000 students. We need to serve more children who need the program.
So, we introduced a new program called BOSS. The acronym stands for Building Out Successful Students, and basically, there is no GPA requirement. So you can have a 1.3 GPA and participate, which we do have young people that have that who are in the program. and it's just been phenomenal to see the work.
MAYOR PAUL YOUNG: You brought the BOSS students to City Hall. They were so engaged. It really struck me how important it is for us to create those types of experiences for young people in our city.
Can you tell me about the differences or similarities between MAP and BOSS?
DIRECTOR BRIAN HARRIS: The main difference is that one has a GPA requirement of a 3.0 or above. The other one does not have a GPA requirement.
One thing we know that our young people need is exposure. So many of our young people have not been outside their zip code. Some of our young people have not been exposed to what they could be. And so what we're doing with both programs is making sure that they participate in different programs outside of the neighborhood. But it doesn't stop there. A lot of our young people want to be entrepreneurs. We also expose them to local business owners in the city as well. So they got a taste of civic roles, but also entrepreneurial roles that they've had a great interest in.
MAYOR PAUL YOUNG: What do you need from the community?
DIRECTOR BRIAN HARRIS: The biggest thing I would need is just more stakeholders to come to the table. Your time is what matters. People are often quick to point the finger at our young people and say, ‘hey, they're a problem.’ But they're an opportunity. And how we change that is by coming to the table and giving them the opportunity to hear your story. We want to show them that we’ve been down that road you're traveling, but let me show you a different path.
MAYOR PAUL YOUNG: You're working with our young people every day. You're engaging with them. How do you feel about the future of Memphis?
DIRECTOR BRIAN HARRIS: I tell you, the future looks great. To hear the testimonials of not only the young people, but their grandmothers, their aunts and uncles, and their dads saying, if you all didn't do this, my kid would be in the street. And to hear those stories gives life to the need for what we're trying to do as public servants and as stakeholders in the city.
Our job is to help grow and train the youth. Through these programs, that's what we're doing.
(link to full video with Director Harris can be found here.)
Interested in serving your community? The City of Memphis appoints members to many important and impactful area boards. Learn more and apply here.
Weekly Crime Trend
The report below provides our weekly update on Part 1 Crimes. It updates daily and shows a continuous rolling 7-day total compared to the prior 7-day total. The date range for each 7-day period is shown below the table. The charts on the right show the calendar week trend, comparing 2023 to 2024. We maintain two crime dashboards, the Weekly Crime Trend report can be found here, and the Crime Analytics dashboard can be accessed here.
Our Strike Team worked in the following zip codes this week: 38016, 38018, 38106, 38115, 38118, 38127
Social and Community Shout-outs:
Beyond the Stage. Registration is now open for Beyond the Stage Teen Talent Show hosted by the Office of Youth Services on Saturday, July 20 at the Overton Park Shell. See full details to sign up here.
 Clubhouse Dedication. Councilmembers Jana Swearengen-Washington, Edmond Ford Sr. and Memphis Parks hosts dedication ceremony of the Cleophus and Charles Hudson Clubhouse on Saturday, June 22 at 8am at the Pine Hill Golf Course. See full details here.
 Orange Mound Community Clean Up. The Orange Mound Blight Patrol hosts community clean-up on Saturday, June 22 from 9am-11am. See full details here.
 White Haven Pop-Up. Whitehaven Branch Library hosts Pop-Up to showcase local vendors, groups, and organizations on Saturday, June 22 from 11am-3pm. See full details here.
Dumpster Days. District 1 Dumpster Day Clean-up with Councilwoman Rhonda Logan on Saturday June 22 from 8am-2pm at 3096 Raleigh Millington. See full details here
Weatherization Program. The City of Memphis has invested in the creation of the Weatherization Training Center at Moore Tech. This initiative will hopefully allow many more Memphians to access this impactful program, which not only helps families reduce their bills but also positively impacts the environment by lowering energy consumption. Watch Pamela Smith’s testimonial here. She is a resident of Hickory Hill who recently benefited from our weatherization program.
Weekly round-up
 Weekly Recap: Empowering Communities and Celebrating Progress!
This week in Memphis was filled with impactful events and milestones:
City Leadership: Memphis welcomed the National League of Cities as part of their 100-year, 100-city roadshow, showcasing our city's role in shaping the future of municipal governance and innovation.  
Education Enhancement.  
Civic Commitment.  
Cultural Enrichment.  
Community Revitalization.  
Business Empowerment.  
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