Best Practices

Randy Odom, President and CEO
Ginny Windsor, Academic Director
Lois Pruitt, Reading Teacher

About MAM

• Eight neighborhood centers and MAM Park outdoor activity center
• An average daily attendance of 750 boys and girls
• 41 full-time staff, 46 part-time staff
• $3.9 million annual budget

Our Youth

• Ages 8 to 18
• 95% African American, 5% Hispanic
• 60% boys, 40% girls
• 63% live in single parent homes
• 90% are economically disadvantaged
• All qualify for federally funded free school lunches

MAM's Mission

Our mission is to help build godly youth in under-resourced neighborhoods by teaching them to love God, love others and love themselves.

Our vision is to develop youth into
Christ-centered, productive adults positively impacting their families and neighborhoods.

5 Core Values

• Christ-centered relational ministry
• Urban youth focus
• Loving/safe/fun environment
• Holistic development programming
• Godly, community influence

History of MAM

• In 1998 MAM served a small urban youth population with sports events.
• In 2001 community-wide basketball leagues began.

August 28, 2003
MAM opened its first neighborhood youth center, the Memphis Athletic Grizzlies Center.

2005 - 2009

• MAM expanded into new neighborhoods.
• MAM formed partnerships with 3 churches and 4 City of Memphis community centers.

A Strategic Partnership with
Literacy Mid-South

A key to success

The Beginning of MAM Academics

• Focus on academics began in 2008 with coaches helping their players read.
• Full-time academic coordinator was hired in 2011.
• In 2012 after school homework help was implemented.

Why do a reading program?

Here are the facts:

• Only 32% of Shelby County System students read on their grade level.
• Only 25% of MAM third graders are on grade level in reading.

Research showed us that homework help has little or no impact if children can not read.

In 2015 MAM hosted its first summer reading academy to stop students' skills from slipping.

Literacy Mid-South approached MAM about starting a literacy intervention program.

In January 2016 MAM began a pilot reading literacy program with Literacy Mid-South at the MAM Leawood center for elementary youth.

We saw that literacy intervention can change lives.

During the 2016 summer, MAM held its second summer reading academy.

For school year 2016-17, reading literacy and homework help takes place at three centers serving elementary boys and girls.

This year approximately 160 boys and girls will become better readers.

MAM's goal is to have a reading program at all centers by fall 2017.

Approximately 300 elementary students will participate.