University Highlights
Jackson State receives $2M in grants from MDE to train more teachers in elementary and secondary education graduate degree programs Jackson State University’s College of Education and Human Development has been awarded $2,038,589 in grants from the Mississippi Department of Education through its Mississippi Teacher Residency program. The grants will cover tuition and expenses for individuals seeking a graduate degree in elementary and secondary education. Additionally, graduate students will participate in a blended, rigorous full-year internship paired with an experienced mentor classroom teacher. Jackson State administrators and faculty responsible for securing this grant include: Tracy Harris, Ed.D., co-principal investigator
and interim dean for COEHD; Gwendolyn Williams, Ph.D., co-principal investigator and interim associate dean for COEHD; LaKeshia Opara-Nadi, Ed.D., contributor, assistant professor in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education and interim director for the Center of Teacher Quality; and Patricia Kennedy, Ed.D., contributor, assistant professor and assistant department chair in the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education.
JSU grad Cathy Maberry loses her sight but maintains vision to become a certified therapeutic recreation specialist More than a year ago, Cathy Maberry lost her complete eyesight. Still, she was able to walk across the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree in health, physical education and recreation at Jackson State last week. She plans to become a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. “Jackson State University means so much to me,” Maberry said. “I am so grateful for everyone’s continuous support. At times, I wanted to give up but with my JSU family, I persevered.” A medical condition called pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) caused Maberry to partially lose her sight in 2017. And less than three years later, she went completely blind. In spite of her circumstances, she never lost her vision of walking across the stage.
JSU’s School of Lifelong Learning receives $8,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to support adult literacy Jackson State University’s School of Lifelong Learning has received an $8,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The funds will be used to support adult literacy at the School of Lifelong Learning’s Continuing Education Learning Center. This local grant is part of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s recent $10.5 million donation to support summer, family, and adult literacy programs throughout the country. The multi-million-dollar award is the organization’s largest one-day grant donation in its 28-year history. “Literacy is extremely important in transitioning students into engaged and productive citizens. Providing this service to the Jackson Metro Area is vital to increasing the available workforce and improving the socioeconomic trajectory of our communities,” states Dr. Carlos Wilson, director of the School of Lifelong Learning. Lead ABE Instructor Marquita Shelby adds, “I am grateful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for their continuous support of Jackson State University’s Continuing Education Learning Center (CELC). This support will continue to assist the CELC in reaching our goals of increasing the literacy levels of learners and the attainment of their General Equivalency Diplomas.”
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