Lighthouse Partners Make Bright Pathways to Prosperity!
The Starkville School District ran the J. L. King Center as an adult education center for over a decade. It served as a “lighthouse” of hope to a six-square-mile area with several Section 8 housing developments. One gas station, a park, and the J. L. King Center are the only businesses in this area of town.
The community supported the J. L. King Center by raising $35,000 for a new roof. Then, in 2018, the school district pulled its support, and the King Center was supposed to close its doors. That did not happen.
Thirty businesses, churches, and families committed to giving $1000 a year for five years to keep the programs running. They formed a nonprofit organization called Friends of the J. L. King Center. The Board found an incredible Director, Margaret Brown, and a model after-school program to replicate. We started summer camps and served families throughout Covid, when everyone else closed. We continued and expanded our adult programs. We became a resounding success at providing pathways to prosperity.
Those five years of lighthouse partnerships that funded the center are coming to an end. While we apply for as many grants as we can, the core $30,000/year is critical. We invite you to join us for the next five years as we continue to make bright pathways to prosperity for our westside neighborhoods.
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Top Notch - After School Program
Our goal is one year’s growth in one year’s time. We track each student’s progress on Learning Farm weekly. We collect progress reports and report cards. We know which kids need intervention and we work with parents and teachers to ensure success.
Last year, all our 3rd graders passed the sate reading test and not one of our students was retained!
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Year-Round Learning
Five years ago, we committed to opening the center to our students during the summer for enrichment programs that would help them make gains during time off from school, instead of falling behind. We host up to sixty students for our programs all summer.
We also began opening for programs during intercession fall and spring breaks so that our students would have somewhere to go while their parents worked.
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Adult Education
During the day and throughout the year, we provide services to the community, including GED support, adult reading, and adult technology training. We also host an annual job fair and workshops on interviewing and creating strong resumes. Our work is getting people into jobs that can provide prosperous lives.
