RESOLUTION NO. RS2011-1631

A resolution recognizing Nashville’s nonprofit Youth Speaks Nashville.

WHEREAS, there are hundreds of vibrant, active nonprofit and charitable organizations in Nashville and Davidson County that serve our community; and

WHEREAS, the nonprofit sector is a significant contributor to our economic well-being, contributing to the employment and gross income of our local economy; and

WHEREAS, Youth Speaks Nashville offers creative solutions for youth to build literacy and presentation skills, reconnect to their education and to their lives, and act as leaders in the improvement of their communities; and

WHEREAS, through its mission, Youth Speaks Nashville seeks to combine education, arts, and youth leadership, together with spoken word in one of the most innovative literacy development tools over the past decade; and

WHEREAS, Youth Speaks Nashville is one of the leading nonprofit presenters of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development programs; and

WHEREAS, in only its second year, Youth Speaks Nashville has, reached 2,100 students as part of in-school residencies and performances, 150 students as part of after school workshops, 3,600 audience members as part of 33 community performances, and reached 3,500 on-line views of Nashville youth spoken word videos; and

WHEREAS, they have established workshop series with the Nashville Public Library, Monroe Harding, Bridge Program of the YMCA, Oasis Center, Juvenile Detention Center, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital through Vanderbilt Cultural Enrichment, YEAH, Y-CAP, and YMCA artEMBRACE, traveled to Washington, Chicago, and Los Angeles to participate in international poetry festivals, and initiated and produced annual events at Vanderbilt, TSU, Belmont, and Lipscomb that bring youth poets onto college campuses to perform and interact with college poets; and

WHEREAS, they have performed at the Davidson County School Board, TEDxNashville, Leadership Nashville, the Davidson County Drop-out Conference, the Tennessee State Senate, and with Governor Bredesen at Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet in celebration of MLK Day; and

WHEREAS, Youth Speaks Nashville’s work has been made possible through the generous support of the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, Humanities Tennessee, Memorial Foundation, the William N. Rollins Fund for the Arts of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Public Library Foundation, South Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognizes Youth Speaks Nashville on there commitment to positively impacting the lives of youth and families in our city.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. The Metropolitan Council hereby goes on record as recognizing Nashville’s nonprofit Youth Speaks Nashville.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Council Office is directed to prepare a copy of this Resolution to be presented to Mr. Benjamin Smith on behalf of Youth Speaks Nashville.

Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Lonnell Matthews, Ronnie Steine, Vivian Wilhoite

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Referred to:	Rules & Confirmations Committee
Introduced:	May 3, 2011
Adopted:	May 3, 2011
Approved:	May 4, 2011
By: