'Many of us have been taught that volunteerism and philanthropy should be completely selfless. I would argue that volunteering needs to be positive for the organization AND for the volunteer.'

The Tennessee Virtual Academy, a program under the Union County Public Schools, felt "like a custom-made school" for a student diagnosed with autism and epilepsy.

TFA teachers make a commitment to the next generation of Memphians, and a group of community advocates makes sure those teachers get a welcome box and support when they arrive.

Some students do not enjoy reading. I was one of those students growing up. I did not enjoy reading because I did not see myself in the books we had to read in school. It was important for me to select books that my students can relate to, and most importantly see themselves in.

Services are simultaneously delivered to parents and children, and may include case management, counseling, tutoring, mentoring and life skills development.

The first-ever master plan for the zoo was developed in 1986 and was finished with the completion of Zambezi River Hippo Camp in 2016. It is now time for a new vision. Not for a bigger Memphis Zoo, but for a better Memphis Zoo.

The Memphis River Parks Partnership has not disclosed to taxpayers how they plan to generate $1.1 billion in revenue by adding hills, trees and basketball courts to Tom Lee Park.

Why – if we have bike lanes to keep cyclists, pedestrians and motorists safe – do we allow unregulated, motorized scooters to take over our sidewalks? 

The irony is this: The very process of trying to prove your value is devaluing. Yearning for more responsibility, more respect for your skills and talents, or even additional compensation can lead to burnout.

Trump’s slogan from the beginning was code for marginalizing people of color as different and inferior, while assuring white Americans who have an innate fear and distrust of multiculturalism that they would have a president who was always on their side.

Alzheimer’s disease is a major health concern in the African-American community. Yet people do not talk about it. Our family excused Gran’s forgetfulness as just getting old. 

Think of Aretha Franklin or Isaac Hayes in Soulsville, Willie Mitchell in Orange Mound and Dewey Phillips at the Hotel Chisca. A Rufus Thomas statue could go just about anywhere in town and Memphis Minnie and Furry Lewis sure would look good on Beale Street.

The Mike Rose Natatorium is a bold initiative in which University of Memphis students are far from the primary beneficiaries. People who will benefit include at-risk children who might not otherwise learn to swim, competitive youth swimming and water polo teams, and community members who pay a fee to exercise in the pool. 

Venezuela observed 208 years of independence from Spain on July 5, but people there weren't setting off fireworks. Instead, they feared they might hear gunshots. 

The appointment of Katharine Schaffzin as dean of the University of Memphis School of Law counters discouraging national trends. Memphis Law and the community are cultivating a place where women who are lawyers get access to leadership roles.

Our abundant existing rail infrastructure could provide key routes in a future light-rail service. A light-rail line connecting the airport to Downtown would make Memphis more attractive as a tourist destination and bring more business conventions and sporting events.

When Americans vote, speak up, pray (or not), take risks, petition, stand up for the least and the last in society, and do all of this non-violently, that is when America is at her best. 

I watched how my dad welcomed people, how his affable, generous approach set people at ease and made them feel included and accepted. I wanted to be just like him.

A smart inmate told me there are two types of criminals: those who embrace anti-social behavior, and those who struggle with it. With these changes in how we do our job – from arrest to sentence – we are better positioned to use our jail/prison/docket space on the former and find alternative solutions for the latter.

Currently, just over 50% of children are ready when they enter kindergarten and only about a quarter of third-graders in Shelby County Schools are reading on grade level. That means half of Shelby County students are already behind before they even get started.

A review of weather statistics, electricity usage and health records for the past 50 years shows that Memphians are increasingly paying more for electricity, and experiencing more emergency department visits and deaths due to heat. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a pool – even a kiddie pool – this playlist should provide the perfect accompaniment for an afternoon lounge in your floaties.

Photographers, along with reporters, hovered over the veterans like they were the newest rock group. Both men and women were crying, cameras clicked with non-stop flashing, and young children hugged our heroes.

Local data from pre-K this year shows the effectiveness of high-quality early childhood programs. Eighty-five percent of the 7,800 children who attended finished the year "ready for kindergarten," and more likely to read on grade level in third grade. 

Almost as if by a magnetic force, residents were drawn to Ms. Jean. The few gifts she would accept – a hamburger, a blanket, a bag of cherries – were small. But the gift she gave was enormous: She activated compassion and drew her neighborhood closer together.