Seeding Success

10/16/2026

Thank you, StriveTogether, for inviting us to this year’s Cradle to Career Network Convening in Baltimore! This was a valuable chance to meet and learn from other members of the StriveTogether network as well as share lessons from Memphis.

Will Cook, Director of Marketing and Design for S2, was pleasantly surprised by how different the convening was from other conferences he has attended: “In my immediate world, these types of events are usually just used to sell products. ‘Hey, graphic designer, please come try this new tablet software!’ My favorite part of the Strive conference was that it was learning without strings attached: ‘Here are the resources that people in jobs like Seeding Success can have access to, and here are the ways that we can reach a compromise with local governments to provide services to all.’ This was a bunch of good people with a desire for collective impact.”

He was particularly inspired by a roundtable discussion on Thursday that featured four teachers working around Austin, Texas. “My mom is a retired grade-school teacher. I grew up seeing the experience of a small-town teacher just trying to teach while being directed by the state at every turn. The hurdles they face in Austin are certainly not dissimilar to the situations that Shelby County teachers have been facing for years—budget cuts, political disruptions, shifts in priorities, etc.—some extreme hurdles for people who just want to teach. These four women were brilliant, dedicated, honest, and inspiring. I saw my own mom depicted in the struggles of these teachers, and it gives me hope for the future that people can find inner strength to still get up and teach despite these difficulties.” 🧡💡

10/14/2026

Today (10/14) is the first day of early voting in this year's midterm and local elections! When you early vote, you can skip the line and cast your ballot at any polling location. Make your plan to today: Vote.org

10/13/2026

Voting on ballot measures is one of the best ways to have a direct impact on big decisions made locally. Today, we’re bringing you a (slightly) simplified guide to six questions that will be on your ballot in the Nov. 3rd election if you live in Memphis. 🗳️📍

💡If you have any specific questions, please leave a comment, and our policy team will try their best to answer it accurately and objectively!

Please note: Seeding Success is a nonpartisan organization. This guide is intended to help everyday voters understand what’s on their ballots.

10/13/2026

Earlier this year, we worked with StriveTogether, Ballmer Group, and the University of Memphis to co-design something totally new: the first career certification program focused on training local leaders to build place-based partnerships like More For Memphis.

Waddell Fisher, an active member of the Soulsville Neighborhood Association and voting member of the More for Memphis Governance Board, completed the training:

“Key insights I have gained include the critical role of collaboration among organizations serving community members in need, as well as the ability to distinguish between simple and complex systems. Learning how to identify system components that contribute to complications, inequitable practices, or unfair policies has strengthened my ability to recognize challenges and determine effective pathways for addressing systemic barriers. This workshop has meaningfully expanded my toolkit for community service and advocacy.” – Waddell Fisher 🌱

10/12/2026

StriveTogether’s 2026 Cradle to Career Network Convening in Baltimore was connective and reinvigorating! 🧡 Several members of our team were fortunate to attend, including Racquel Harris, Director of Continuous Improvement for S2. Her favorite part of the convening was the opportunity to “reconnect with the work we do every day and learn alongside others across the country who are working toward similar goals.”

This opportunity gave her insight into how other cities are engaging school partners and building community schools, which offer wraparound services to youth, families, and community members to improve outcomes.

“What inspired me most was the sense of connection I witnessed throughout the convening,” Harris said. “It was powerful to see so many people committed to a shared purpose, despite working in different communities and facing different challenges. It reinforced for me the importance of coming together, learning from one another, and recognizing that we are part of something bigger than the work happening in our individual communities.”

10/12/2026

Some hot topics in Memphis had major developments last week. In this update, we cover Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr. clearing the path for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools oversight board and a contentious city council meeting in which a majority of council members voted to delay a decision on a temporary data center moratorium.

🔗Check out the full update, linked in the comments! (3-minute read.)

10/09/2026

“Overall the people, I think, were the best part.”

In this interview, Director of Economic Development and Workforce Systems Marshall Ogier reflects on his experience as a 2026 Big Bets fellow with the Rockefeller Foundation.

🔗 Check out the full interview, linked in the comments!

10/06/2026

Today, a decision on a potential data center pause in Memphis is pending at City Council. Back in August, S2 Policy Advisor Rachel Starks examined the moratorium, how SpaceXAI is currently operating, and what considerations and guardrails residents here and across the country are asking for when data centers come to town. 🔗 If you missed it before, check it out now (4-minute read!): https://loom.ly/5hvesOc

As cities across the U.S. grapple with the rapid revolution of artificial intelligence, Memphis finds itself in the center of the debate over how to balance protecting community needs with the expansion of the Mississippi Delta’s data center alley. In this update, we examine the proposed moratori

10/06/2026

WONDERFUL NEWS: Westside Middle School recently won the Tennessee Charter School Center's “Community Impact Project of the Year“ award for their incredible Parent Resource Center! 🏆❤️

As a community school, Westside is dedicated to improving the lives and academic outcomes of its students by offering free access to the resources and services families need. Using funds from the federal Full-Service Community Schools grant received by the Shelby County Community Schools Partnership in 2023, Westside Middle established an essential Parent Resource Center, providing food, clothing, and other necessities to people across the community.

We are so proud to call Westside Middle a partner, and we are excited to see the continued benefits that this center has on youth, families, and neighbors in Frayser. Great job, Westside!

10/05/2026

“I sat down with [Superintendent Dr. Ted Horrell] and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Angie Delloso to find out exactly what has made their 13-year-old school district (which just graduated its first 12th grade class last year) one of the top-performing districts in Tennessee. ’As much money as possible stays in the classroom, as opposed to administration,’ they said. As it should, if you ask me.”��

In the third installment of our "What Works" series, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy Anthony Hanna visits Lakeland School System to learn about how the system honors teachers’ collaboration time, incorporates feedback, and uses data for continuous improvement.

�🔗 Read the full story linked in the comments!