Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The Mississippi Higher Education Initiative is awarding Access to Higher Education grants to seven North and Central Mississippi communities.
Presented during a recent conference at Mississippi State University, the awards will be used for educational attainment programs that help local students better plan and prepare to attend a college or university. Individual projects will begin with the start of school in August.
A partnership between Mississippi State and the Appalachian Regional Commission, MS-HEI developed from a $339,000 ARC grant secured by Michael J. "Mike" McGrevey, the university's vice president for finance and administration. Julie Jordan directs the program.
"There are two keys to the success and sustainability of any Access to Higher Education project," Jordan said. "First is the enthusiastic commitment of the community team; second is the full support of school principals, counselors, teachers, coaches, band directors, choir directors, and everyone else working with the students at the school."
Participating community organizations and partner schools include:
--Choctaw County Economic Development Foundation, with Ackerman High School and the Weir Attendance Center, $10,000.
--City of Houlka, with the Houlka Attendance Center, $10,000.
--Kemper County Economic Development Agency, with Kemper County High School, $10,000.
--Noxubee County Economic and Community Development Alliance, with Noxubee County High School, $10,000.
--Okolona Learning Community, with Okolona High School, $6,505.
--Webster County Economic Development Authority, with East Webster and Eupora high schools, $10,000.
--Winston County Economic Development District Partnership, with Louisville High School, $10,000.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership that works for sustainable community and economic development. It serves economically challenged communities stretching from New York and Pennsylvania to North Alabama and Mississippi.
Sandra Perkins, associate manager of the Mississippi ARC office in Tupelo, also participated in the grant presentations.
For more information on the higher education initiative, contact Jordan at 662-325-6703 or julie.jordan@mscat.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.