Jackson, MS– December 2016 – The Public Education Forum of Mississippi will receive a $40,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program to assist with the Mississippi Scholars and Mississippi Scholars Tech Master programs.
The grant will be presented at a local Walmart Superstore on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 11a., and will go directly towards sustaining and expanding both programs. Both Mississippi Scholars and Mississippi Scholars Tech Master positively impact the local community by encouraging and motivating students to be workforce and career ready. Mississippi Scholars is designed to recognize students to pursue and meet specific standards in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Furthermore, the program targets the middle 50% of students who can do well but need the extra motivation. The Mississippi Scholars Tech Master curriculum is designed to recognize students to pursue and meet specific standards in a tech-prep course of study and reward them for hitting specific benchmarks. Students earn a medallion, certificate, and seals for the high school transcript and high school diploma for each program.
“Mississippi is at a critical point. Making an investment in our future workforce today and producing workforce-ready graduates will pay great dividends for our state’s future,” according to Blake Wilson, President and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council.
“At the Walmart Foundation, we understand that organizations such as The Public Education Forum of Mississippi are essential to building stronger communities. They are committed to helping Mississippi students prepare for the workforce or higher education upon graduation from high school and achieve success in a global economy. Through this donation, we are hopeful that residents in Mississippi will benefit by increasing workforce and career readiness skills,” said Tice White, Director of Public Affairs for Walmart. “Through this donation, we are hopeful that residents in Mississippi will benefit by increasing workforce and career readiness skills.”
The Public Education Forum of Mississippi began in 1989 with the belief that Mississippi’s economic future depend on a solid foundation of a strong viable public education system. Since 2003, the Mississippi Scholars program has grown from 2 pilot school districts to more than 100 and recognized more than 35,000 graduates. Since the rollout of Mississippi Scholars Tech Master in 2014 more than 2,000 students have been recognized with the Mississippi Scholars Tech Master designation.
The Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better, awarding grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
The Public Education Forum – is committed to excellence in Mississippi public schools. Raising student achievement will take hard work, collaboration and a network of support that includes school leaders, teachers, parents and communities. Walmart is leading the way through Mississippi Scholars and Mississippi Scholars Tech Master programs.
About Philanthropy at Walmart – By using our strengths to help others, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation create opportunities for people to live better every day. They have stores in 28 countries, employing more than 2.2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. The Foundation works to help people live better by accelerating upward job mobility and economic development for the retail workforce; addressing hunger and making healthier, more sustainably-grown food a reality; and building strong communities where they operate and inspire their associates to give back. Whether it is helping to lead the fight against hunger in the United States with $2 billion in cash and in-kind donations or through supporting Women’s Economic Empowerment through a series of grants totaling $10 million to the Women in Factories training program in Bangladesh, China, India and Central America. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are not only working to tackle key social issues, but also collaborating with others to inspire solutions for long-lasting systemic change. To learn more about Walmart’s giving, visit http://www.foundation.walmart.com.