6
Introductory Letters
Associate Director’s Welcome Thank you for your interest in the work of the McLean Institute! We are passionate about our work, and I invite you to join us. The McLean Institute partners with Mississippi communities to fight poverty in order to transform lives through education, innovation and entrepreneurship. We have an ambitious, statewide mission, and we can only be successful if we partner with others to accomplish something greater than we could by working individually. The McLean Institute works on campus with students, faculty and staff, and in communities with nonprofit organizations, school districts, elected officials, government agencies and businesses to advance our mission. We believe that poverty alleviation in Mississippi requires all hands on deck, as well as a commitment to systemic change. We draw inspiration from our community partners, who we see working around the clock, day after day, to create pathways of opportunity for their neighbors, and particularly for youth in their communities. We also believe that our partnerships should enhance work of these community organizations. As Sister Kay, our partner in Jonestown put it, “We’ll live without the partnership, but we’re so much better with it.” Community engagement literature talks a lot about mutual benefit and reciprocal partnerships. We see this each day as our students gain new insights, our faculty members make scholarly contributions to their fields, and our community partners build their capacity through our shared efforts. In the pages that follow, we are excited to share examples of community engagement in action. We believe it to be the best of what the University of Mississippi has to offer.
Warmly,
Laura Martin Associate Director
SCHOLARSHIP & ENGAGEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD: Community Engagement at the University of Mississippi
