Graduate Memphis Center Dedication

August 23, 2010, Courtesy of Andy Meek, The Memphis Daily News

A dedication was held Thursday morning at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library for the Graduate Memphis Resource Center, part of an effort by Leadership Memphis and the Memphis Talent Dividend: College Attainment Initiative.

The resource center, all services of which are free, is devoted to post-secondary education attainment among Memphis-area adults. Onsite counselors will offer guidance on the re-application process, from financial aid assistance to admission forms and deadlines, and an interactive website offers prospective students off-site assistance options.

The center was funded over a three-year period by a $1.7 million grant from the Plough Foundation and will be housed inside the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

The mission of Graduate Memphis is to increase the number of adults with quality post-secondary credentials in the Memphis metro area. Since July, Graduate Memphis has reached more than 350 potential students, with 19 participants currently enrolled in a local college.

The Memphis Talent Dividend College Attainment Initiative, led by Leadership Memphis, consists of more than 100 individuals, companies, church/synagogue groups, institutions of higher learning and neighborhood associations working to increase the number of college graduates.

For more information, visit www.graduatememphis.org.