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The Soulsville Charter School is a public, tuition-free charter school with a mission of preparing students for success in college and life in an academically rigorous, music-rich environment. Founded in 2005 with 60 6th graders, the school has grown to a full 6th to 12th grade middle and high school serving more than 650 students.
The class of 2012 was our first graduating class and since that time, 100 percent of all seniors have been accepted to college and/or post-secondary educational institutions.
The Soulsville Charter School works in an exciting partnership with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Stax Music Academy, with whom we share a vibrant campus in the inner-city Memphis neighborhood of Soulsville, USA. In order to achieve the highest level of academic rigor for our students, we have an extended school year and school day, with students in school from 7:45 a.m.–3:00 p.m., with 3:00-3:45 p.m. used for tutoring and clubs.
The Soulsville Charter School is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is authorized by Shelby County Schools through the Tennessee Department of Education.
Our core values are Community, Respect, Integrity,
Scholarship and Empathy. We believe that “As a Community, we RISE” (Respect, Integrity, Scholarship and Empathy).
Our nickname is The Revolution—We are a REVOLUTION—a force rising up against ordinary expectations and the status quo of public education.
The Soulsville Charter School follows the State of Tennessee Graduation Requirements, and all students receive intensive support from the College and Alumni Support Team staff as they explore, secure, and matriculate into a postsecondary pathway.
In order to achieve our mission of success in college and life, our students must experience settings outside of our school. The ability to adapt to other settings, expectations, and structures is a valuable soft skill that we want each student to have before graduating. Every rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grader is required to complete a Summer Growth Experience, which can include local or national jobs, internships, research programs, college programs, attending boarding schools, and travel to places like New England, Idaho, and Chile.
While the main focus of The Soulsville Charter School is on traditional core academics, we also provide intensive music education. Our music offerings are based on proof that musical education greatly enhances general education. All students participate in either the String Orchestra, Jazz Band, Choir or a general music education curriculum focusing on theory and history. Some students choose to participate in multiple avenues of Soulsville’s musical classes. Our partnership with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has afforded students special opportunities, including receiving small group instruction, playing alongside the professionals on stage, performing for former First Lady Laura Bush and R&B icon John Legend, and attending rehearsals and concerts with world-renowned musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma.