Developing Policy Scholars.

This signature program addresses the need for increasing the number of individuals who address decision makers as informed individuals to assist individuals charged with decision making related to the well-being of children and families.

-Developing Policy Scholars is a program designed to educate individuals who have indicated an interest in working with policy makers at the local and state levels. A 1.5 day in-person meeting in Oxford, Mississippi at the offices of the Northeast Mississippi Education Consortium is designed for no more than 25 individuals under the age of 45 years of age who seek to learn more about the decision-making process at the state and local levels. Faculty includes Senators Chad McMahon and Manley Barton, Speaker pro tempore, Representative Rickey Thompson, Retired Representative Steve Holland, Dr. Andrew Mullins, Dr. Marty Wiseman public policy experts, and Dr. Lynn Dietrich . Additional faculty include retired state level journalists, Lloyd Gray, Bill Crawford and Danny McKenzie. Growing Our Own. Building capacity in most professions in Mississippi is challenging to all industries, state employees, institutions and service agencies. The interest in public service by individuals 40 years and under has been documented as significantly declined.

-The Growing Our Own initiative is designed to promote interest in the process of governing and the opportunities individuals can access. Training sessions will be developed in the form of modules and offered virtually.