The Institute
The Institute is Lifeline’s primary program, receiving most of its resources. The core of the Institute curriculum is three to four hours of daily classroom instruction and interactive discussion on a variety of topics including anger management and conflict resolution. Beyond the classroom, the Institute provides Team Members with a comprehensive list of opportunities to engage:
Pathways to Employment
Blight Patrol – prior to graduation, Team Members volunteer with the Blight Patrol, a landscape maintenance program focused on cleaning up in Frayser. After graduation, they are eligible for paid participation.
LifeLine Services – A for-profit entity with multiple contracts for landscape maintenance and janitorial services. Team Members are eligible to apply after completing Blight Patrol.
After School Drop-In – Members not well-suited for Blight Patrol work for After School Drop-In, first as volunteers then as paid employees.
Faith-based counsel & fellowship
Playback Memphis – A theatrical storytelling program allowing members to share their lives with each other, creating empathy between members and police officers.
Community Engagement – Examples include anti-violence marches, block parties, and other community events such as memorializing fallen officers.
Outside Referrals – Made when participants seem likely to succeed in those program atmospheres and when the programs are high quality, e.g. GED program at HopeWorks.
Team Members complete their Institute training in one of two ways. Ambassadors, on average, spend 8 months in the program and must complete a minimum of 144 hours of participation. Accelerators enter further along in their transformation and move quickly through the curriculum, and depart within a few months.
For those who have achieved high success and demonstrate an ability to model and lead, the Fellows program provides an intensive path for continued growth and giving back to new Team Members.
Junior Blight Patrol
The Junior Blight Patrol is comprised of teenagers who assist staff and Team Members in running the After School Drop-In and work alongside members of the Blight Patrol doing summer work and planning community events.
WREG - "Bright Spot: Blight Patrol"
FOX13 - "Doing Double the Good Fighting Blight"