E-Mail Mentors Program Wins Partners in Education Governor's Award

School partnerships aren't just a good idea. They are essential to student success. It is for this reason that Governor Ronnie Musgrove and the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education recognized the winners of the second annual Governor's Awards for Outstanding School-Community Partnerships at the 18th annual Partners in Education Seminar.

At the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education 2002 Seminar in Jackson, Grenada School District was selected to receive a Governor's Award for Outstanding School-Community Partnerships for the GSDE-Mail Mentors Program. The E-Mail Mentor Program is a focal part of the GSD School-to-Careers grant implemented by Dr. David Daigneault. Daigneault has also received a Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1998. Daigneault states, "The E-Mail Mentors Program provides vital links with the community to offer guidance for selected eleventh grade students. Community members volunteer to participate in the program and are paired with students with an interest in the mentor's job field. The volunteers communicate with students via e-mail to provide personal insights into the workforce. The community of Grenada has really provided support for our students." The E-Mail Program was initiated in 1999. Mentors have assisted students in discovering job possibilities, requirements needed for specific employment, and educational necessities for obtaining a specific job. The E-Mail Mentor student participants have also visited the job site of the mentor. Students have shadowed mentors and observed them performing routine duties and gained insight into the everyday world of work. Another Grenada School District adopt-a-school project was also recognized at the 2002 Seminar. The High Hopes Partnership with the Mississippi Forestry Commission was among the twelve finalists considered for the Governor's Award. All twelve finalists were recognized by Governor Musgrove during the Governor's Award Luncheon held at the Jackson Hilton. Last year during the 2001 seminar, Grenada Elementary School's on-site children's museum, the Kidzeum, also received a Governor's Award for Outstanding School-Community Partnerships.