Memphis, TN, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the nation marks National Mentoring Month in January, an education model rooted in Memphis is drawing national attention for redefining what effective mentoring looks like in America’s schools. Peer Power was founded in 2004 in Memphis, TN. At the heart of the 21-year-old Peer Power program is soul, a human-centered approach that connects students with peer mentors just a few years ahead of them, and soul happens to be the city’s most lasting and legendary export. “Like soul connects straight to your core,” said Peer Power Foundation CEO Cortney Richardson, “Peer Power connects to the heads and hearts of students. It’s been a soulful, life-changing experience for all involved.”
The Peer Power Foundation, a nationally recognized mentoring and student acceleration organization, is being cited by educators and researchers as a scalable solution to learning loss, STEM achievement gaps, and postsecondary readiness. With more than two decades of proven results, Peer Power’s model is now expanding beyond its Memphis home market, signaling strong national demand for a mentoring approach that delivers measurable academic and workforce outcomes.
Peer Power began as a peer-to-peer initiative in which high-achieving high school students tutored and mentored their classmates. The model expanded in 2008 to include college tutors and reached a defining milestone in 2015 with the creation of what is now widely known as the Memphis Model. Validated by research from Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University, the Memphis Model elevates a powerful yet underutilized approach: placing paid, high-performing college students directly into middle and high school classrooms as embedded tutors, mentors, and near-peer role models. Known as Success Coaches, these college students support instruction during and after the school day, helping close academic gaps while providing students with a relatable, tangible vision of success just a few years ahead.
A Mentoring Model That Produces Nationally Relevant Results
Peer Power’s most recent impact data underscores why the model is gaining traction beyond Memphis, particularly as districts nationwide search for mentoring solutions that go beyond volunteerism and deliver real outcomes. For the 2024-2025 school year, Peer Power schools posted A+ and A level growth in Algebra I and science, met or exceeded expectations by more than 40% in fully supported classrooms, and drove two-level performance gains in half of participating schools within one year.
To date, Peer Power has delivered more than two million mentoring hours, serving tens of thousands of students while simultaneously providing paid employment, professional development, and leadership experience to college-aged Success Coaches.
“Mentoring works best when it’s consistent, culturally relevant, and embedded into daily learning, not treated as an add-on,” said CEO Richardson. “That’s what makes this model different, and why it’s resonating nationally.”
As interest grows, Peer Power has begun expanding its model beyond Tennessee, including new markets like Louisville, Kentucky, demonstrating that the Memphis Model can be successfully adapted to different school systems and communities without sacrificing outcomes. This measured expansion reflects a broader shift in how educators and policymakers are thinking about mentoring, not as a feel-good initiative, but as essential educational infrastructure.
Mentoring That Extends Beyond the Classroom
Peer Power’s impact extends beyond academic achievement to workforce development and economic mobility. Through its Workforce Development Program, supported by strategic partnerships with Memphis-based businesses and organizations, Peer Power delivers a holistic approach to career readiness designed to re-engage students by directly connecting education to real-world employment opportunities.
Early workforce outcomes include:
- 100% high school graduation rate
- 100% certification attainment
- 96% passage rate on ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certification
- 100% passage rate on the Independent Electrical Contractors Aptitude Exam
Educators say the results are transformative.
“We could not do the work that we do, moving student achievement and getting students up to level, without our Peer Power Success Coaches in the room. Peer Power doesn’t just impact students; it creates a two-generational effect. All of these components together: academic support, mentoring and exposure to college, are what really help us move the needle dramatically.”
- Joy Gilliam, Executive Director, University Middle School
“I wish Peer Power were in every single school, public or private. It doesn’t matter. Peer Power is needed in our city.”
- Rod Gaston, Executive Director, MASE (Memphis Academy of Science & Engineering)
As National Mentoring Month shines a spotlight on the power of relationships, what started as a Memphis-based idea has evolved into a nationally relevant model for accelerating student success, proving that mentoring – done right – can change outcomes at scale.
For more information or to view the full Peer Power Impact Report, visit:
https://peerpowerfoundation.org/impact/
- Peer Power Foundation’s CEO Cortney Richardson