By Brooke Kelly
(JACKSON, Miss.) – One hundred and fifty North Mississippi high school students participated in the 8th Annual Advanced STEM Winter Program at Jackson State University over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, January 17 and 18.
The annual program offered 150 young scholars an opportunity to engage in Advanced STEM courses led by instructors from Mississippi institutions and across the nation, as well as visit with state legislators and tour the Mississippi State Capitol, Old State Capitol and the Two Mississippi Museums in honor of MLK weekend.
The program was led by the Global Teaching Project in collaboration with JSU’s Margaret Walker Center (MWC).
“The Global Teaching Project provides incredible opportunities for talented high school students in our communities, and, for nearly a decade now, we have been excited to host these students at Jackson State through the Margaret Walker Center for MLK weekend,” said Robert Luckett, Ph.D., director of the MWC. “I’m always deeply impressed by these young people. They are engaged, brilliant and focused on their futures. We have been lucky to see a number of them come to JSU as undergrads, and I know that we will see many more matriculate in the future. It really has been a beautiful partnership for us.”
Through the Global Teaching Project, participating students are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) biology, physics, computer science and statistics at schools classified as being located in rural communities by the U.S. Department of Education. Their classes are taught by in-person and virtual instructors and tutors through a blended instructional model created to address severe teacher shortages.
Instructors, tutors and staff came from across the state and country for the in-person learning event, hailing from Jackson State University, Mississippi State University and Ole Miss, along with out-of-state tutors from Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Virginia and Yale.
“Jackson State has been a valued partner since the inception of this effort, and we are very pleased to come here each year to show our students what advanced level work in science is about,” said Matthew Dolan, CEO of the Global Teaching Project. “Having the program over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend also underscores the nexus between educational opportunity and civil rights, and that impacts why we do it.”
Zavianna Simmons, senior at Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi, is enrolled in computer science via the program.
She enjoyed learning and socializing with other students over the weekend and enjoys her computer science course throughout the year.
“It’s very easy and not hard at all. Coding is cool.”
While she is not sure if her career path will involve coding, Simmons does know that she would like to major in business and own her own trucking company, and visiting JSU was another great part of the experience.
“I love it,” she said of the feeling of being on campus. “I’ve been really waiting on a tour so I can experience and see if I want to come here and major in business.”
Global Teaching Project provides the courses at no cost to the students and their schools, though the schools provide transportation to in-person learning events like the annual MLK weekend program.
Through the combination of providing the opportunity to learn about Civil Rights, meet with legislators and learn from instructions from leading institutions, the program seeks to provide an inspiring and impactful weekend to the participating students.
About Jackson State University: Challenging Minds, Changing Lives
Jackson State University, founded in 1877, is a historically Black, doctoral university classified R2 by the Carnegie Classification for its substantial research activity and doctoral degree production. Jackson State’s nurturing academic environment challenges individuals to change lives through teaching, research and service. Officially designated as Mississippi’s Urban University, Jackson State continues to enhance the state, nation and world through comprehensive economic development, healthcare, technological and educational initiatives. The only public university in metropolitan Jackson, Jackson State is located near downtown, with four satellite locations throughout the area. For more information, visit jsums.edu.
About the Global Teaching Project
The Global Teaching Project provides a scalable platform for extraordinary teachers from leading schools around the world to bring blended, advanced curricula to students everywhere. With an initial focus on Advanced Placement® (AP®) STEM courses, the program delivers unprecedented access to advanced STEM curricula in rural communities—particularly in areas affected by severe teacher shortages—through its unique blended instructional model. For more information, visit globalteachingproject.com.
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