Circle 1: Youth, Education And Community Support

Concerns: 

  • School attendance: are students attending school regularly?
  • Lack of extracurricular activities outside school—beyond football, basketball
  • Lack of modern school facilities
  • Lack of exposure and career fair opportunities for all grade levels
  • Students with disabilities (SWD) being included
  • Lack of parent engagement
  • Engaging learning experiences
  • The negative impact of social media

Solutions:

  • Community support through organizations: board of supervisors
  • Seeking grant opportunities for funding
  • Implementing critical thinking and problem solving in schools
  • Attendance policy: attendance incentives for students (age-appropriate)
  • School lunch is appealing and provided
  • Activities that students enjoy, including SWD—beyond basic activities
  • Get school bond passed to receive new facilities
  • Elementary counselors plan career fairs to inspire the younger students
  • Offer training and support for families
  • Support teachers with monthly planning
  • Unorthodox educational experiences: escape rooms, outdoor learning, project-based learning to encourage critical thinking
  • Parents monitor usage

➡️ Read more stories from the Delta Bureau here.

The mission of the Mississippi Free Press, a new nonprofit journalism website and multimedia network that launched in March 2020, is to publish deep public-interest reporting into causes of and solutions to the social, political and structural challenges facing all Mississippians and their communities. Mississippians need to know each other across regions and share our challenges and solutions despite geographic and other differences. We are introducing Mississippians to each other through our deep accountability reporting and compelling people-focused storytelling, and by convening online and physical “solutions circles,” using our statewide networks to ensure inclusivity and representation.