Mississippi State Community Action Team (MSCAT)
First Impressions: Education
MSCAT is partnering with the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation to support their efforts of helping to stimulate community engagement for school improvement. Each community will participate in our typical First Impressions program with a more in-depth analysis of their school buildings. Separate reports and presentations designed specifically for the education sector will be a component of this process.
While some selected communities have already participated in First Impressions, follow up visits will document progress made since the initial visit and presentation. Also, the program will be expanded to include a structured visit with specific observations documented for each school.
With the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation having community engagement as one of its major program components, MSCAT is excited about the opportunity to work with the Center on this project and the potential for positive impact in these local communities.
The following communities have been selected as community work sites:
- Duncan, Alligator and Shelby
- Belzoni
- Benoit
- Greenwood
- Port Gibson
- Rosedale
- Webb
All of these communities have common demographics of high poverty, low educational levels, high unemployment and economic decline. The Shelby/Duncan/Alligator community was selected based upon a strong core group of concerned citizens already existing, and the remaining six communities were selected through a request for proposal (RFP) process of their school districts as part of the Delta Promise Initiative, which provides a comprehensive collaboration with all facets of the Center's work.
