The Division of Academic Outreach & Continuing Education procured external funding from both the BellSouth Foundation and the Tri-State Educational Foundation, which has resulted in the expansion of the Elementary Education Distance Learning Program housed in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Mississippi State University. The program has reached beyond its original borders and broadens the distance learning opportunities for Mississippi's present and future educators. Northeast Mississippi Community College was the pilot partner for the program, which has now extended to East Central Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College.

The BellSouth Foundation has provided the Elementary Education Distance Learning Program with funding in order for the development of the East Central Partnership that will combine both the talent and resources of the east central region of the state of Mississippi in order to address the critical shortage of quality teachers in public education. The East Central Partnership will attend to this national concern through the recruitment of rural, diverse, student populations. In turn, these students will have the opportunity to participate in an innovative and challenging learning environment that takes full advantage of non-traditional formats of instructional delivery and to channel their wealth of ability, motivation, and aptitude into the elementary education classrooms of the district.

The TRI- STATE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION was granted tax exempt status on July 2, 1999, as a result of the efforts of retired School Superintendent Dr. Bob Ferguson, and his wife, a retired school teacher, Sylvia Ferguson.

Dr. and Mrs. Ferguson are from New Albany, Mississippi. Combined, they have served the school districts of Corinth, Columbia, Marion County, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Tishomingo County and Picayune in Mississippi, and the Kansas City District, Kansas City, Kansas.

They formed the Foundation for the purpose of providing financial support to those persons who seek ways to better themselves through educational measures.

General Purposes

To provide grant money to individuals and schools for the purpose of acquiring new skills or knowledge, which leads to better citizenship. To assist an individual, an institution, a school, a school district or other public agency to meet educational needs in ways they feel will:

• improve performance
• enhance readinglmath skills
• provide experiences in the arts
• improve attendance
• reduce the drop-out rate
• broaden the knowledge base
• expand/enhance the curriculum
• provide for vocational experiences
• provide support for other educational related experiences deemed suitable
• provide opportunities to acquire child rearing skills TEACHER / SCHOOL GRANTS

Grants are being offered to teachers for special projects such as travel, work towards advanced degrees, attendance at seminars and meetings, for classroom projects, and grade and schoolwide projects In the near future grants will be made available for district-wide projects. At this time these grants will be offered on a rotating basis. We anticipate that funds will be available to all of the school districts within a fifty mile radius of Iuka, Mississippi during the next school year.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. and Mrs. Bob Ferguson
130 County Road 410
Iuka, MS 38852
Telephone: 662~423-3849