Memphis Business Academy Named One of Six Local Partners in a $15 Million Federal Grant Supporting Students & Families 

Seeding Success, a nonprofit organization working to advance social and economic mobility in Shelby County, announced a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education benefitting multiple local school systems and community organizations, including Memphis Business Academy (MBA). These funds, along with $15M in matching and in-kind dollars, were awarded to the Shelby County Community Schools Partnership (SCCSP) from the U.S. Department of Education’s Full-Service Community Schools Program (FSCS). 

MBA is one of six local partners named in the grant, which is designed to help launch and sustain the community school model, an evidence-based approach that positions neighborhood schools as a base for providing resources for students and families in the community. Seeding Success and Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) were instrumental in supporting this grant and bringing these funds to Shelby County.

“We rely on community partners to help design, build, manage, and sustain systems of opportunity,” said Seeding Success Chief Strategy and Impact Officer Jamilica Burke. “Over the last three years, leaders across districts and non-profit partners, recognizing that our students come to school faced by incredible challenges, have worked on building out this highly impactful model in Shelby County.” 

Memphis Business Academy will receive over $1.5 million in grant funds over the next five years to implement the community schools model to support students at MBA High School.

“This grant means more opportunities for students and families in our community,” said Co-CEO April Bobo. “We understand that many factors beyond the classroom impact a child’s ability to learn and make positive choices. The community schools model will help bring vital resources into schools and expand our services to better meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of our students.

In addition to MBA, the SCCSP is a collaboration between Seeding Success, Memphis Shelby County Schools, Communities In Schools of Memphis, Millington Municipal Schools, Frayser Community Schools, and the University of Memphis. The U of M’s Center for Research in Educational Policy is leading evaluation efforts throughout the five-year award period to measure the outcomes in each district and determine opportunities to expand to more schools in Shelby County.