Mississippi Learning Institute receives Entergy grant

Louis Wright of Entergy (left) presents a check to Mississippi Learning Institute executive director Dr. Nikisha Ware.

Louis Wright, customer service manager with Entergy, recently presented a $3,200 check to Mississippi Learning Institute executive director Dr. Nikisha Ware.

The grant will help support MLI’s Parents as First Teachers Program, which is primarily funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Housed at Jackson State University, MLI is the state’s only nationally recognized public school-university partnership. The partners are JSU, Jackson Public Schools, the Mississippi Department of Education, the Barksdale Reading Institute and America Reads Mississippi-AmeriCorps Program.

MLI creates innovative teaching methods and programs that give underserved, socio-economically disadvantaged students a solid background in reading and literacy that guarantee proficiencies in math and science in order to succeed in today’s technology-driven global society.

The institute’s professional development hub provides specialized training for JSU College of Education and Human Development students, parents, administrators and community individuals who are passionate about teaching and helping economically disadvantaged children succeed.

Since its creation in 2001, MLI has demonstrated impressive results in improving the performance of public school children from underserved populations on standardized tests.