Junior League of Jackson Awards $99,370 in Grants to JPS Teachers
Jackson, MS – The Junior League of Jackson (JLJ), in partnership with the Community Foundation of Mississippi’s Education Foundation Trust Fund, has awarded $99,370 to Jackson Public Schools through its Mini-Grants program. This longstanding initiative continues to provide essential funding to support innovative classroom projects and resources, designed to enhance learning experiences for JPS scholars. A total of 18 schools received funding, ranging from $546 to $9,446, to support individual classroom concepts to school-wide initiatives.
An official announcement of this year’s grant recipients will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 8, in the library at Cardozo Middle School, located at 3180 McDowell Road Extension Jackson, MS 39204.
2026 Grant Highlights:
- Total Amount Awarded: $99,370
- JLJ Contribution: $50,000
- Community Foundation of Mississippi Contribution: $49,370
- Number of Schools Receiving Grants: 18
This year’s grants funded a variety of innovative projects, including:
- Green Elementary: Scholars in grades 3–5 will launch The Hornet Buzz Student Newsroom, providing hands-on experience in researching, writing, editing, publishing and presenting school news while strengthening literacy, communication and digital skills.
- Walton Elementary: Approximately 25 first-grade scholars will use hands-on math centers, games and technology to strengthen foundational skills in number sense, operations, place value, problem-solving and mathematical reasoning.
- All seven JPS middle schools and Fast Track: Each received a $7,557 grant for Game on for Joy, an e-sports program designed to engage scholars not currently involved in extracurricular activities while developing teamwork, communication, problem-solving, resilience and positive relationships.
“Jackson Public School teachers know their scholars best, and the Public School Mini Grants program allows them to turn ideas designed around the needs of their scholars into action,” said Junior League of Jackson President, Laura Hearn. “The Junior League of Jackson is proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the Community Foundation for Mississippi to invest directly into JPS classrooms and the students learning in them.”
“Teachers see every day what can spark a scholar’s curiosity, build confidence or make a lesson come alive,” said Jane Alexander, President and CEO of Community Foundation for Mississippi. Through the JPS Education Foundation Trust Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi and our long-standing partnership with the Junior League of Jackson, we can help put resources behind those ideas and give teachers the opportunity to create something meaningful for their scholars.”
“Jackson Public Schools is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Junior League of Jackson, an organization that has consistently invested in the success of our scholars and educators,” said Superintendent Dr. Errick L. Greene. “Over the years, we have worked together on numerous initiatives that have enriched teaching and learning across our district. This grant program, however, remains one of the most impactful components of our partnership. We are grateful for the Junior League of Jackson’s unwavering commitment to supporting public education and helping us meet the needs of scholars throughout our district.”
Since its inception in 1990, the Public Schools Mini-Grants program has provided over $2.3 million to support creative and effective educational efforts in JPS classrooms.
