The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi has received a grant of $50,000 from the Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) to fund activities that increase college awareness and create pathways to postsecondary education among high school students in the following 18 Mississippi Delta counties: Bolivar, Carroll, Coahoma, Desoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington, and Yazoo.
“Our top priority is education, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve educational opportunities for children in our region from birth through college or other career preparation,” says Tom Pittman, President of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi. “We deeply respect the work of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation in this regard. It is an honor to provide links to non-profit organizations that make a difference in the trajectories of our young people’s lives.”
The money will be distributed as a part of the Get2College Mini-Grant Program to schools and eligible community-based organizations with a current 501c(3) status. Grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and will range in amount from $250 to $1250. Organizations can receive a single grant in a calendar year.
Examples of eligible activities include (but are not limited to): college fairs, college campus tours, technology to support online workshops for students, college application days, and college signing events.
“The need to increase access to college information is critical for all Mississippi students and adults, but particularly those who live in rural or low-income communities,” says WHEF President and CEO Jim McHale. “Ultimately, we hope that this grant will create more pathways and awareness for students to pursue a postsecondary credential or degree that will improve their quality of life, their communities, and Mississippi.”
For more information or to apply, call 662.449.5002 or visit www.cfnm.org. Download the application here.