(JACKSON, Miss.) Jackson State University’s Division of Academic Affairs has secured five new competitive grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. The five grants, totaling more than $7 million, are designed to elevate academic outcomes in school-age children in surrounding school systems through collaborative partnerships.
Four of the five grants were funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Post-Secondary Education and were written by Associate Vice President of Student Success Mitchell Shears, Ed.D.
“The Upward Bound program is a staple TRIO program in America and helps to increase the educational attainment in the cities of our participants and most importantly our state,” said Shears. “As an Upward Bound alum, I fully understand how these programs will assist in increasing equity for income-challenged and first generation college students – giving them the individualized attention they need to complete their secondary diploma and enroll in postsecondary programs.”
These Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math & Science grants target students in high schools in Jackson Public Schools and Mississippi Achievement School District who are interested in pursuing postsecondary education. Three of the four grants will target high school students that are interested in math and science majors and careers. High school students who participate in the program will have opportunities for intensive math and science training in the summer; year-round tutoring, counseling and advisement; exposure to university faculty members who do research in mathematics and the sciences; computer training; financial literacy counseling, and research experiences under the guidance of faculty members or graduate students.
With the new Upward Bound grants, JSU now has 16 TRIO programs – the most in the state.
The fifth grant, funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and written by Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Brandi Newkirk-Turner, Ph.D., is designed to improve language, literacy, and reading outcomes for school-age children with disabilities through the implementation of a high-quality personnel preparation program that provides specialized training in language and literacy to graduate students.
“Through our enhanced collaborations with JPS and local school districts, these grants center on the mission of the university of addressing societal problems and aligns with Provost Alisa Mosley’s priorities for Academic Affairs, which are to increase educational access, advance equity, and remove barriers to student success,” said Newkirk-Turner. “I’m grateful to work with colleagues who are committed to larger issues. Great results happen at JSU and in our communities when discussions are elevated to be about ideas, rather than people, and about solving problems for a greater good.”
The personnel preparation program, called Project PILLARS (Partnering In Language, Literacy, and Reading Services) will be a collaborative partnership between the Department of Communicative Disorders’ graduate program in speech-language pathology, the Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson Public Schools, and local agencies that provide services to young and school-age children.
Through Project PILLARS, graduate students will receive specialized training in language and literacy, have clinical experiences in local public schools, and receive tuition scholarships, monthly stipends, and a professional conference allowance.
“I applaud the work of Dr. Shears and Dr. Newkirk-Turner. Aligning with goal one of the strategic plan and the mission of the university, in Academic Affairs, we are dedicated to partnering with others to strengthen the pipeline to JSU and ensuring that students receive excellent preparation here so that they can think critically and impact the global world,” said Alisa Mosley, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.
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Media Contact: Alonda Thomas, Alonda.Thomas@jsums.edu