| | Mississippi Economic Council
| Public Education Forum of Mississippi |
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| Nissan North America Gives $5,000 Grant to Public Education Forum of MS
The Public Education Forum of Mississippi recently received a $5,000 Nissan North America, Inc. grant to support the Mississippi Scholars and Mississippi Scholars Tech Master programs.
The unique aspect of Mississippi Scholars is that it positively impacts those students who are in the middle 50 percent academically with a Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) curriculum focus.
The Mississippi Scholars program has recognized more than 35,000 graduates with the Scholars designation since 2004. The Mississippi Scholars Tech Master program is the companion program to Mississippi Scholars and encourages students to take a tech prep course of study and recognize those students who meet performance benchmarks for career-readiness. The Tech Master Program completed its first full year in 2015 and since inception has recognized more than 1,200 Tech Master graduates.
Nissan employees are very engaged and active in classroom presentations in the Canton School District. Employees encourage students to take a rigorous course of study in high school and explore career opportunities. The goal is to help students understand how their current educational and personal choices will affect their future choices for a career.
Both program recognize graduates with a medallion, certificate and seals for the high school diploma and transcript. For more information about the programs visit www.mississippischolars.ms. |
| Ingalls Shipbuilding Partners to Expand Shipbuilding Career Technical Programs
 | | | | Edmond Hughes, Vice President of Human Resources & Administration at Ingalls Shipbuilding |
Edmond Hughes, Vice President of Human Resources & Administration at Ingalls Shipbuilding, was the guest speaker for the Mississippi Scholars Tech Master Conference Call with Mississippi Scholars Coordinators and Volunteers.
During a Conference call, Hughes stated that Ingalls Shipbuilding is the managing partner of the Shipbuilder Academy sponsored by Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium, which will allow students who are high school level to gain exposure in maritime craft trades. Currently, they anticipate several students will graduate this year with the Tech Master designation. The participating school districts include: - Moss Point
- Pascagoula/Gautier
- Jackson County
- East Central
- St. Martin
- Vancleave
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| Verizon Awards $15,000 Grant to Mississippi Scholars & Mississippi Scholars Tech Master This program year, the Public Education Forum received a $15,000 Verizon Grant to support the Mississippi Scholars and Tech Master programs across the state.
The grant will allow the program to impact the lives of students, education and communities across Mississippi. Mississippi Scholars and Tech Master represents an important step to build a more robust workforce in the state.
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| Mississippi Scholars - Where Are They Now?
 Roy Johnson, III
Roy Johnson, III is from Greenville, and graduated in 2011 as a Mississippi Scholar from Greenville High School.
Roy is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, and now works as a teacher. He teaches 7-8 grade at Coleman Middle School in Greenville, MS. His class recently participated in the recent Delta P2P Career Expo and MEC/PEF Wheel of Careers.
 Raven Moore Class of 2010
Raven Moore is a 2010 Graduate from Greenville High. After high school, she graduated from Mississippi State University.
Currently, she is enrolled in the Health Science program at the University of MS Medical Center and will graduate in May of 2017.
Jasmine Jones Class of 2013
Jasmine Jones graduated in 2013 as a Mississippi Scholar from St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville.
She attends Delta State University and is majoring in Social Work.
Currently, she is doing her internship with WWISCAA - A Community Action Agency Serving Warren, Washington, Issaquena, Sharkey and Yazoo Counties.
 Isaiah Immanuael Garraway Class of 2016
Isaiah Immanuael Garraway is a 2016 honors graduate from Hattiesburg High School.
Isaiah graduated as both a Mississippi Scholar and a Mississippi Scholars Tech Master. He is now a Luckyday Scholar at the University of Mississippi, majoring in Computer Science. |
| Hattiesburg High School MS Scholars Volunteer at Area Development Partnership Jump Start
| | | From Left - Kavaji Beverly, II; Alissa Rice and Jerrian Reedy, Juniors at Hattiesburg High School. |
In February the Public Education Forum participated in Area Development Partnership (ADP) in Hattiesburg's Jump Start to Success event for Forrest, Lamar and Perry Counties, with over 1,200 9th graders from 8 public schools and 1 private school.
Future Mississippi Scholars Alissa Rice, Kavaji Beverly, II and Jerrian Reedy, all juniors at Hattiesburg High School, volunteered at the event.
"I have been looking at being a Mississippi Scholars since my 9th grade year," said Rice. "I am on track with straight A's and over 100 community service hours."
"It's harder to do the things that you don't want to do than it is to do the things that you want to do," said Beverly of the Mississippi Scholars program. "I am on track to be a Mississippi Scholar with straight A's and over 100 hours of community service. The easy way is to just go to class and don't strive for excellence."
Reedy explained, "Life is simple...you make choices and don't look back. Mississippi Scholars motivated me to work harder. Take the challenge! People want to take the easy way out. You have to prepare yourself for college. Take AP Courses and be prepared for college. Apply yourself!"
Hattiesburg School District was one of the Mississippi Scholars pilot school districts along with Indianola School District in 2003. Both school districts continue to participate in the Mississippi Scholars program and the Tech Master network.
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| Over 2,300 Students from 35 Schools Attend P2P Delta Career Expo Students were able to drop by the Mississippi Scholars and Tech Master booth
to learn more about the programs.
The Public Education Forum recently participated in the P2P Delta Career Expo with over 2,300 Mississippi Delta Students from 35 schools.
The event was held in Greenville at the Washington County Convention Center. The 8th grade students were there on Wednesday and Thursday from 8:45 a.m. 1:00 each day. The at-risk youth, ages 16-24, attended the event on Wednesday 2-4 p.m.
All 8th grade students in public and private schools, as well as home-schooled, were invited to attend from: Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Washington and Yazoo counties.
Task - Students were allowed to spin the wheel, and talk about the career cluster it landed on including salary and skills needed for the job. Students received colorful silicone bracelets with the MEC/PEF website address to get additional information.
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| Order Your MS Scholars and MS Scholars Tech Master Supplies Today!
Order your medallions, seals and certificates today for Mississippi Scholars and Tech Master graduates!
Last year, the Mississippi Scholars program recognized more than 4,300 graduates and over 1,200 Tech Master graduates.
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| Lamar County Career Tech Center Provides STEM Experience to Participating Students | | | (Clockwise from top) Leslie Brown, Automotive Service Tech instructor; Tina Byrd, CTE DIrector; June Songy, Student Services Coordinator; Deanna Dunaway, Health Science instructor; Laura Fails, Health Science instructor; Pam Bolin, bookkeeper; Jane McCoy, secretary/attendance clerk; Donnie Saucier, Construction Tech instructor; Dennis McGaughran, Student Services Coordinator; Teresa Sappington, Engineering instructor; Rhonda Brewer, CTE counselor; Jeff Waits, Metal Fabrication Tech instructor; Lee Mason, teacher and Academy instructor; Bruce Lampe, Engineering instructor. |
What students are saying about the Lamar County Center for Technical Education: Program: Metal Fabrication Technology Instructor: Jeff Waits
Student: Hayden Niemeyer, age 15 School: Purvis High School
"This class has helped me with staying focused on things. It's taught me new skills like lathe work and welding. I've learned that team work is in every job, no matter how small the job is."
Program: Automotive Service Technology
Instructor: Leslie Brown
Student: Eli Sparrow, age 15 School: Oak Grove High School
"The Automotive Program is a great class to attend if you are going to college. It teaches me work ethics, organization, and a better understanding of how a car functions."
Program: Construction Technology
Instructor: Donnie Saucier
Student: Dylan Pickett, age 16 School: Sumrall High School
"This class has helped me with my carpentry skills, and it has also helped me prepare for a job in the electrical field."
Program: Health Science
Instructors: Laura Fails, Deanna Dunaway
Student: Hailey Dobson, age 17 School: Purvis High School
"This class has helped me realize just how much I truly love the medical field. I has given me better insight into what the medical world is like. It goes more in depth than the mandatory health class at my home school. It has helped me uncover my true passion for the medical field. Without this class, I would have never thought of working in the medical field."
Program: Engineering Instructors: Bruce Lampe, Teresa Sappington
Student:Cameron Stewart, age 16 School: Oak Grove High School
"I have been going to the Lamar County Technical Center for almost two years now. Both years, I took the Engineering courses I,II, respectively. In the future, I would like to be a Robotic Engineer or a Computer Programmer, and there were units on both skill sets, plus many more. There is no in-depth, hands-on class at my high school that even comes close to the things we do in Engineering...this class takes the best work and turns it into an interactive course, and that's what I love about it. You will not be able to get this much practice dealing with life skills that will get you job-ready anywhere else. I feel that when I Ieave this class, I will be more skilled, more prepared than several of my competitors in the job force or even college, for that matter."
Program: Teacher Academy
Instructor, Lee Mason
Student: Anna Nobles, age 17 School: Sumrall High School
"This class has taught me more than what I could learn than simply "watching" my teachers."
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 What is Mississippi Scholars?The Mississippi Scholars initiative encourages students to take and complete a more rigorous course of study in high school - the Mississippi Scholars curriculum. The program utilizes business leaders to motivate students and targets the middle 50% of students that can do well but need the extra motivation.
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What is Mississippi Scholars Tech Master?
The Mississippi Scholars Tech Master program was developed under the Mississippi Scholars umbrella to encourage students to pursue and perform well in a tech-prep course of study, recognizing their achievements at graduation just like Mississippi Scholars. The Mississippi Department of Education Basic 21 Carnegie Unit Career Pathway Curriculum using 4 electives was used as the foundation for the curriculum along with feedback from the Tech Master Council to develop the requirements.
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| Have a Mississippi Scholars or
Mississippi Scholars Tech Master Story? |
 | | Benefits for Students of Mississippi Scholars and
Mississippi Scholars Tech Master Programs
- Medallion for each program
- Certificate for each program
- Preference given in the hiring process for Mississippi Scholars Tech Master
(Ingalls Shipbuilding, Sanderson Farms, United Furniture) - Designation on high school transcript and high school diploma for each program
- Give back through community service for each program
The ultimate goal is not only to produce a more tech-savy young workforce, but also to foster well-rounded, civic-minded individuals who are job or college ready. MEC encourages communities to partner with their local businesses to offer college scholarships and incentives for Tech Master graduates. | | | Medallion that is given to Mississippi Scholars Graduates. |
| | | | Medallion that is given to Mississippi Scholars Tech Master Graduates. |
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It pays to get students workforce ready! Here's how: With the new Success is a Cycle, Are YOU In? program from Mississippi Scholars, Mississippi Scholars Tech Master, and Get on the Grid! The powerpoint is available at mississippischolars.ms and on YouTube. Get started today! |
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| | Do you wish to participate in Mississippi Scholars and/or Mississippi Scholars Tech Master?
You can be a sponsor, presenter or volunteer! Contact Vickie Powell, Senior Vice President of Foundations at (601) 969-4418 and get connected today! |
| Public Education Forum of Mississippi Mississippi Scholars/Mississippi Scholars Tech Master 248 E. Capitol Street, Suite 940 - Jackson, Mississippi 39201 P.O. Box 23276 - Jackson, Mississippi 39225-3276 Phone: 601-969-0022 - 1-800-748-7626 Fax: 601-353-0247 - 1-888-717-2809 Click Here for PEF Website |
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