On July 13, 2019, Neighborhood Heroes of Memphis will partner with Fuel the Fourth Bluff to host their first Superhero Training Day at Mud Island River Park. The event will last between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
Parents or guardians with children between the ages of 7 and 15 years old are suggested, but children of all ages are welcome. During this event, the participants will define and discuss the necessity of superheroes. The participants will also create superhero profiles and learn to exercise their own superpowers to save their own neighborhoods and their city.
With the box office success of movies like The Avengers and Black Panther, the influence of comic books has grown to dominate pop culture circles around the world. This surge has revitalized age-old superheroes for old and new comic book enthusiasts. Today’s youth have formed their own relationships with comic books through the heightened experiences of video games and computer-generated images seen in movies and television shows. This growing popularity has also produced educational programs and materials designed to engage children and spark their interests with comic book icons.
Neighborhood Heroes of Memphis uses a comic book model to mentor children and engage them with cultural touchstones that are familiar and exciting.
This event will feature free costume and comic book giveaways, martial arts instruction, and superhero-themed field day activities. The purpose of the event is to engender and increase the senses of drive, discipline, and community concern among the participants.
Attendees will leave the event with comic books, costumes, and links to keep in touch with Neighborhood Heroes for information on more events and mentoring activities. In short, young people will receive the tools they need to venture forward and save Memphis.
About Neighborhood Heroes
After years of teaching and tutoring children, Founder Danian Jerry believed he could do more. Like most of us, he wasn’t sure what to do, or if he had the power to really do anything. He was a writer, an educator, and a comic book aficionado. He knew he could use pop culture and superhero lore to engage and enhance the minds and muscles of young people. Soon, he connected with Science Fiction Writer and Arts Educator Sheree Renée Thomas, who helped him shape that idea into a concrete vision. This is how Danian Jerry devised the plan for Neighborhood Heroes—a mentoring program to train young heroes through language, creativity, and comprehensive fitness. On that mission, Jerry joined forces with Educator and Creative Director Danielle Littlefield, Graphic Designer Will Loren, Marketing Specialist Jericka Webster, and Martial Arts Instructor Sensei Michael Muhammad. They form the core members of the Neighborhood Heroes team.
