Thank you Women’s History Month readers for making big smiles and big impacts on our kids!

We would like to give a special thanks to all of our Women’s History Month readers throughout March!  We know that you touched the lives of our at-risk students by helping them learn from role models who have gone before them and challenged the norm.  Students learned about anything from the suffrage movement and famous, historical female figures to modern-day equality.  Many readers talked with the students during and after the story about what it meant to them individually.

YLLC board member, Rachel Baily, stops by YLLC-West to read "Elizabeth Leads the Way," a story about Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who helped get women the right to vote and fought for many other women's rights. "I'd be happy to come out again anytime," Baily says.

"It was fun and magical, because she was so pretty. The book was so funny, and it talked about what you're gonna be when you grow up," said Abrea King, YLLC-Riverchase second-grade student (pictured left of volunteer reader, Nisha Garner.)

At YLLC-Hillside, Lori Cain reads a story about Mary McLeod Bethune, a renowned educator, who was best known for starting a school for African-American students and being an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

YLLC-Hillside's second Women's History Month reader, Valerie Lancaster, read a poem on fearlessness by Maya Angelou. After listening to the poem, the students wrote their own poems about being fearless and presented them to Valerie and their YLLC peers.

Kim Church read the story of Dr. Mae C. Jemison, the first black female astronaut to go into space from the book, "5 Brave Explorers" at YLLC-Easley. "I had the opportunity to not only read to the kids but spend time with them and learn about their lives and dreams. We talked about their goals and what they wanted to do with their lives. The experience once again reminded me of the importance of YLLC and how we are changing lives everyday," says Church.

Visit our Facebook page to see more pictures from our reading celebrations in honor of Women’s History Month.

YLLC partners with “Unconditional,” film to hit theaters fall 2012, for call to “ACT.”

Youth Life partners with “Unconditional,” a film to hit theaters this coming fall, to express the urgent need to serve at-risk children and youth in inner-city communities all across the country in a movement called, “ACT.”  After “Unconditional” producers came to know our ministry through their relationship with the Boselli Foundation in Jacksonville, Florida, the partnership seemed inevitable.  In fact, producers shot their “ACT” video at Youth Life Learning Centers in Jacksonville.

“They really want it to be more than just a movie but a movement to action,” says Yolanda Shields, CEO of Youth Life Learning Centers.  “I didn’t realize until halfway into the movie that it was about my friend, Joe Bradford, whom I have known for over 20 years!  He is definitely an example of how one person can make a difference to impact children living in the inner-city.  Our partnership with “Unconditional” and “ACT” will allow observers to see what faith based organizations throughout the country are already doing to impact children and families and how they can help the cause.”

“What Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee (YLFT) has been doing since 2001 is a perfect model of doing urban ministry in a way that brings sustainable changes to the lives of at-risk children and youth,” says Benjamin Thigpen, Director of Community Relations and ACT for Harbinger Media Partners, LLC, Producers of “Unconditional.” “By focusing on a balanced program of education, character and life skills, Youth Life has deeply impacted kids living in Tennessee communities.  YLLC is an urban ministry that we are proud to highlight and encourage our viewers to support via donations, volunteering, partnering, etc.“

Make sure to check out “Unconditional” at a theater near you this September!  Read more about “Unconditional” and the ACT movement.

Wesley Legg, Co-Producer of “Unconditional” and Chief Operating Officer of Harbinger Media Partners, added, “We are blown away by how many people are responding to the movie and we can’t wait to see how God moves on the hearts of audiences across the country this fall.”

Student choir travels from Hoover, Alabama to serve for their Spring Break

The student choir at Hunter Street Baptist Church contacted Youth Life Learning Centers to ask if they could spend their Spring Break serving our students.  Once the connection was made and the details were discussed, we became very excited for our visitors.  Hunter Street’s 70-student choir then made the three-and-a-half hour drive from Hoover, Alabama, to sing to our students at YLLC-Easley.

From there, the choir split up to go to all five centers in Nashville to help Youth Life students in any way they could–with homework, activity time, playing outside, individual learning plans called O.P.S. (Opportunities, Procedures and Statuses) and reading.  The group even donated supplies and snacks to our programming!

On behalf of Youth Life Learning Centers, we would like to thank Hunter Street Baptist Church’s student choir for traveling all the way up from Hoover on their Spring Break to bring joy to our students– with their donations, entertainment, time and overall service.  It was such a pleasure having them!

If you are interested in donating supplies like those given to us from this amazing student choir, make sure to check out our on-going wish list for ideas.

In Celebration of Women’s History Month, YLLC Invites You to Read to Our Girls

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Youth Life is inviting local women to read to the at-risk girls living in inner-city communities whom we serve.  These women aren’t just coming to read your average children’s book, but rather will read specifically about the women’s suffrage movement and historical female figures.  Every year Women’s History Month doesn’t quite get the attention it deserves, evident by most not knowing a month dedicated to women even exists.  We hope by doing this reading project, it will bring to light not only the celebrated month, but also on the history and struggles of women, from the suffrage movement to the issues modern-day women face like pay disparity.

Education that celebrates self-esteem building, respect and empowerment, especially with girls living in at-risk communities, is crucial to their growth as women.  Some of the girls served at Youth Life Learning Centers come from a single-parent or guardian families.  It is not uncommon to see a child being raised by their single mother or grandmother in these environments.  Therefore, these youngsters will surely appreciate stories of powerful women, self-esteem, and women’s history with a newfound respect for the women who are raising them, oftentimes singlehandedly.

We have more spots to fill for our other two centers, so let us know your availability!  We’d love to have as many readers as possible.  See below for the dates we’re booked or visit our event calendar on our website at yllc.org.

• March 21st – Kim Church – YLLC-Easley
• March 22nd – Marie Garner – YLLC-Riverchase
• March 23rd – Aisling Maki – YLLC-Memphis
• March 28th – Valerie Lancaster – YLLC-Hillside

To sign up to read to our at-risk girls for Women’s History Month, please email info@yllc.org for available dates.  Volunteers must be willing to stop by between the hours of programing, which range from roughly 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., depending on the center.  We’d love to get more of you involved, and we anticipate a great turn-out.  We’ll keep our readers posted on how everything turns out with pictures and additional information.

YLLC-Riverchase’s Abrea King is a straight-A student who dreams of becoming a doctor

Abrea King, second-grader at Caldwell Elementary and YLLC-Riverchase student since last fall, was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  Her answer was simple.

“[I want to be] one of those doctors that give you your medicine and does surgery on you,” she replied with enthusiasm.

As an outstanding student, she made straight A’s on her most recent progress report.  In fact, Abrea was the only student at YLLC-Riverchase who did so.  It is no question that her favorite subject is science, a vital part in her pursuit for studying medicine. Not only does she lead by example in academics, students who hang around her have improved in behavior according to her teacher.  She is always a well-behaved and positive girl, who loves just being a kid on the playground, participating in track, or even signing American Sign Language (ASL).

“Abrea is a joy to have at the center.  Her smile lights up the room,” says Erin Hall, her YLLC-Riverchase teacher.

Youth Life Learning Centers’ determination in getting inner-city children off of the streets and into the classroom stems from national and statewide statistics that many of these students will not ever see a diploma or wear a cap and gown in front of their high school class.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Center, Davidson County had 15.8% of students drop out of high school before graduating in 2009.  That same year, the national average percentage of teens ages 16 to 19 who were neither in school nor working was 9%, 13% for African-American teens.  Read more.

Some say it may be too early to be talking about high school and college to a second-grader.  But because we reach students at an early age, we’re able to better identify their needs, struggles and strengths for growth to lead them in a positive direction.  Some of our students who have been through our programming have not only made it out of high school but are now enrolled in a local college or university.  

If Abrea still wants to be a doctor in ten years, we know she can do it!  No matter if she stays with this aspiration or changes her career goals along the way, we’re just here to guide her and cheer her on.

After donating a major gift, Mr. Grubb now donates his time

If you’ve been keeping up with the news at Youth Life Learning Centers, you most likely read about our recent donation of now ten iPads and three laptops from Metro Nashville Public School teacher at Julia Green Elementary School, Mr. Gerald Grubb.  What you may not know is that after his donation, he took his belief in our programming even further when he became a regular volunteer for both YLLC-Hillside’s classes, kindergarten through first grade and second through fourth grade classes, for four days each week to assist the students in any way he can.

He just can’t stop teaching!  While some teachers might be exhausted after a full day of instructing third-graders, Mr. Grubb is ready for more.  

“His enthusiasm for children and their education is quite inspirational, and we hope that it will encourage other teachers to volunteer with Youth Life.  His impact is very obvious in the students’ excitement for coming to the center and learning,” says Jasmine Riley, YLLC-Hillside’s K-4th grade teacher.

While Mr. Grubb says, “Youth Life houses some very brilliant minds,” the Youth Life Learning Centers (YLLC) students he serves think he is “so cool.”

Although some are brilliant and very eager to learn, underprivileged students are often coming into our centers behind their public school peers.  Mr. Grubb hopes that volunteering with Youth Life Learning Centers will encourage other teachers—kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, and even college— to donate additional time and passion for teaching to these inner-city students.  

Photograph taken by Claire Wise with Claire Wise Photography.

“…it is a pleasure to serve them [YLLC students] indirectly,” says Tamela Brooks

Tamela Brooks, a 22-year-old recent graduate of Texas Southern University and employee at Girls Incorporated Memphis, was introduced to Youth Life Learning Centers through an orientation week for Downline Ministries’ “Emerging Leaders Program.”  She serves our non-profit in a unique way.  Rather than working directly with YLLC students like many of our volunteers, Tamela assists the YLLC-Memphis teacher with any administrative needs on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

“Although I’m not with the students, it is a pleasure to serve them indirectly… [This] allows her [YLLC-Memphis teacher] to minister to the students whole heartedly, not worrying if something needs to be done or not,” says Tamela.

From scheduling and evaluations to activity time and snacks, Tamela is able to serve Youth Life students and their families under the radar.  Her service has made it clear that you don’t have to even have a direct relationship with students to make a major impact on them.

Administrative volunteering at Youth Life Learning Centers allows those who are not able to volunteer during regular program hours to still contribute their time and efforts into our services.  Whether you can help out in the office or at the center closest to you, we invite you to become apart of the volunteering experience at YLLC.  Trust me:  you will not be bored.

We certainly want to acknowledge this under the radar volunteer for her helpful hand in serving our at-risk, inner-city students in Memphis.