We are 30 Bridge Builders youth fellows from across the Greater Memphis area working to build an intersectional movement to create profound positive change in our community. We are working with community partners to increase youth voice in the political process, create more brave, safe and educated spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, unite youth activists to end the school-to-prison pipeline, and stop sexual harassment and assault. Will you join us?
Why CHANGE?
Check out our latest events and news
April 2020
COHORT UPDATES
On April 18th, BB Change joined other youth leaders, BRIDGES AmeriCorps members, and BRIDGES staff to host a virtual Youth Summit on COVID-19 on Zoom. This event consisted of info sessions on understanding COVID-19--both scientifically and socially--as well as Take Action! workshops which included helping undocumented families in Memphis, letter-writing to ask Mayor Lee Harris to release incarcerated youth, a space for venting and mental health, sharing resources for those living in unsafe homes, and supporting the 901 Stay At Home campaign for public safety.
This event brought together over 100 youth and adult allies from around Memphis to learn and practice ways of supporting their local community through the COVID-19 crisis.
This event brought together over 100 youth and adult allies from around Memphis to learn and practice ways of supporting their local community through the COVID-19 crisis.
MARCH 2020
COHORT UPDATES
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EDUCATION JUSTICE (EDJ)
Education Justice spent much of March putting together a social media campaign to bring awareness to the Handle With Care initiative, which seeks to increase support and counseling for students who have gone through adverse childhood experiences and decrease the presence of law enforcement, which often disproportionately harms Black and Indigenous youth of color, in schools. This initiative can help end the School-to-Prison Pipeline. MEMPHIS AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT (MASHA)
In March, MASHA began building a partnership with Bridge Builders CONNECT to construct a curriculum that would engage youth voices and spark action towards reducing sexual violence in their schools on both cultural and school policy levels. This curriculum is split into three sections--middle school, high school, and teacher training--in order to meet the needs of different age groups. One large goal of March was to collect information about MASHA's work from the past year and organize it so that the project would be sustainable and accessible to CHANGErs joining the group in the upcoming school year. |
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GENDER AND SEXUALITY (GAS)
GAS held ICCON (the Inclusive Classrooms Conference) on March 7th. The conference was a fun and informative community event where GAS invited teachers, students, and school administrators to provide feedback on the Inclusive Classrooms Criteria--a list of research-backed suggestions and best practices to encourage the safety of LGBT+ students. GAS also finished putting together the next Brave, Safe, and Educated Interest Meeting for organizations looking for BSE certification, though it was moved back due to social distancing precautions. MEMPHIS YOUTH UNION (MEMYU)
Throughout March, MEMYU worked on building its partnership with the Shelby County Youth Council (SCYC) to create the Memphis United Youth Platform, which was envisioned as a way to collect feedback from several hundred local youth and thereby understand what kinds of change must be prioritized at the city and county levels. This would inform the future work of BB CHANGE in the new year to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the demographic--young people--who we fight for. |
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February 2020
Cohort updates
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MEMPHIS AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT (MASHA)
With a great start to the semester, MASHA has begun working with Tonya Reece of Bridge Builders CONNECT and collecting surveys to create the curriculum for a teen dating violence prevention workshop.They continue to build a helpful partnership with Mary Tucker, Shelby County School's new and first full-time Title IX coordinator. With this assistance from Reece and Tucker, as well as some other potential community partners, MASHA will write up recommendations for schools on how to end teen dating violence. |
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GENDER AND SEXUALITY (GAS)
On February 1st, the Gender and Sexuality (GAS) Cohort held another Brave, Safe, and Educated Interest meeting, celebrating the LGBT-inclusive certification of Facing History and Ourselves, the Orpheum Theatre Group, Theatre Memphis, and the Rhodes College Psychology and Urban Studies Departments. The meeting received representatives from Crosstown High, the Pink Palace Museum, Hattiloo Theatre, CLOUD901 Teen Learning Lab, Hiestand Psychological Services, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, Memphis Friends Meeting (Quakers), and Mrs. Aline's Community Garden. If you would like to assist GAS in making schools and classrooms LGBTQ+ friendly, sign up to attend the Inclusive Classrooms Criteria Convention on March 7th, from 2-5 pm at BRIDGES (477 N. 5th St.). Another way you can help GAS is by watching and sharing their recent documentary on struggles faced by the Memphis LGBTQ+ community, which was filmed at Memphis Pride Fest 2019.
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EDUCATION JUSTICE (EDJ)
This year, in order to better plan future organizing and advocacy efforts, Education Justice (EDJ) has begun building a new community partnership with Kelvin Hart, the highly experienced SCS district official working with the office of Student Equity Enrollment and Discipline (SEED). They have also begun collaboration with Frank Jemison, the Director of Education Outreach at the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Awareness Foundation to discuss how to organize around passing the Handle With Care Act, which aims to connect youth who experience traumatic events-- such as domestic violence, drug abuse, death in the family, and other struggles--to trauma-informed school resources. |
JANUARY 2020
COHORT UPDATES
MEMPHIS YOUTH UNION (MEMYU)
This semester, MEMYU recruited members for and executed the inaugural Shelby County Youth Council, launched a video campaign to educate youth on the political process, and advised the Countywide Juvenile Justice Consortium in the effort to create a youth-friendly video. In the upcoming semester, MEMYU will create a youth policy agenda formed from youth voice across Shelby County.
This semester, MEMYU recruited members for and executed the inaugural Shelby County Youth Council, launched a video campaign to educate youth on the political process, and advised the Countywide Juvenile Justice Consortium in the effort to create a youth-friendly video. In the upcoming semester, MEMYU will create a youth policy agenda formed from youth voice across Shelby County.
MEMPHIS AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE (MASHA)
MASHA held a 3rd Survivor Power Coffee Hour, strengthened their partnership with Shelby County Schools and the Memphis Area Women’s Council. In the new semester, MASHA will be working with new Title IX coordinator of Shelby County Schools, Mary Tucker, to plan further steps in the project to significantly reduce harassment and assault among youth.
MASHA held a 3rd Survivor Power Coffee Hour, strengthened their partnership with Shelby County Schools and the Memphis Area Women’s Council. In the new semester, MASHA will be working with new Title IX coordinator of Shelby County Schools, Mary Tucker, to plan further steps in the project to significantly reduce harassment and assault among youth.
GENDER AND SEXUALITY (GAS)
Gender and Sexuality (GAS) certified 10 new Brave, Safe, & Educated spaces, launched a documentary filmed at Pride about the importance of inclusive spaces, and held their first interest meeting for other organizations interested in becoming BSE. In the upcoming semester, GAS will begin certifying individual classrooms as BSE. You can join our effort for inclusive classrooms by nominating your favorite teachers and organizations by visiting the GAS page on our website.
Gender and Sexuality (GAS) certified 10 new Brave, Safe, & Educated spaces, launched a documentary filmed at Pride about the importance of inclusive spaces, and held their first interest meeting for other organizations interested in becoming BSE. In the upcoming semester, GAS will begin certifying individual classrooms as BSE. You can join our effort for inclusive classrooms by nominating your favorite teachers and organizations by visiting the GAS page on our website.
EDUCATION JUSTICE (EDJ)
EDJ is exploring several policy options to pursue in the upcoming semester. These include increasing the number of counselors and nurses present at Shelby County schools while decreasing police presence, supporting a state-wide push to pass the ‘Handle with Care’ policy in Tennessee, working with community partners and SCS board to develop and pass a community standards review board to implement more restorative justice practices in schools, and helping organizations connect with SCS students.
EDJ is exploring several policy options to pursue in the upcoming semester. These include increasing the number of counselors and nurses present at Shelby County schools while decreasing police presence, supporting a state-wide push to pass the ‘Handle with Care’ policy in Tennessee, working with community partners and SCS board to develop and pass a community standards review board to implement more restorative justice practices in schools, and helping organizations connect with SCS students.
How DO YOU Report sexual violence in your school? VISit masha's page HERE to learn more on our new initiative
MEMYU ON LIVE @ 9 (Click on the photo to view)
