About Us
The Academy for Youth Empowerment concentrates its educational and community
outreach programs to enrich lives through character building for youth and families.
Personalized programs and activities are designed to focus on self-reliance skills, academic
achievement, leadership training, career development, financial responsibility, preventive
healthcare and community service.
The Annual Memphis Christmas Parade is one of the organization’s signature events.
This event promotes building community unity and youth participation. It allows the
schools, community and businesses to work together and to that end continue to build a
stronger community.
The goal is for students to improve social status through community involvement. We
realize that only with your support can students participate in this event. We hope that you
can support this endeavor by being a sponsor.
Empowering Memphis Youth. Building Leaders City-Wide.
Our Mission
The Academy for Youth Empowerment exists to confront the social and economic disparities that limit the potential of Memphis youth. We believe that circumstance should not dictate destiny. Our mission is to actively partner with young people, providing them with a comprehensive toolkit of lifelong skills. We go beyond temporary fixes, fostering the academic prowess, professional competence, and civic-minded leadership required for them to thrive. We are dedicated to nurturing not just successful students, but capable professionals and deeply engaged citizens who are prepared to contribute meaningfully to the fabric of their communities.
Our Vision
We envision a future for Memphis where its communities are truly inclusive, vibrant, and resilient—shaped by the leadership of those who were once its youngest residents. In this future, the cycles of limitation are replaced by cycles of opportunity. Empowered youth are the primary catalysts for this change, leveraging their skills, passion, and unique perspectives to drive positive and lasting transformation. We see a city where every neighborhood benefits from the rise of its own homegrown leaders, creating a ripple effect of progress, pride, and enduring change for generations to come.