Peer Power
Education Administration ProgramsTennessee, United States51-200 Employees
Peer Power is a nonprofit organization based in Memphis, Tennessee, that recruits and trains college students as Success Coaches to tutor in public high school classrooms and mentor younger students. The program aims to foster active learning, reinforce the value of education, and encourage personal accountability for students’ futures. It was founded in 2004 by Charlie McVean, an East High School graduate and entrepreneur, to address underperformance in Memphis’s public schools. The organization operates as a mid-sized nonprofit in the education administration sector. Through the Memphis Model—a collaboration with the University of Memphis and Shelby County Schools—Peer Power places Success Coaches in classrooms to help reduce the student-to-adult ratio and support academic progress. Beyond academic benefits, the program provides college students with work experience and financial support to remain in school. In 2024, Peer Power Foundation launched the Earn and Learn program, funded by a grant from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Youth Employment Program.