JSU is in partnership with HOPE Enterprise Corporation, HBCU – Community Development Action Coalition, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The desired outcomes are: to strengthen the University’s community development efforts in West Jackson (WJ) and produce a Strategy Guide that will identify strategies and funding sources for action towards project implementation in West Jackson. The partnership is also working with Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU).

As a part of the engagement, JSU Community Engagement will hold sessions with residents and business owners to craft a shared vision for West Jackson. The meetings will be held for four (4) consecutive weeks beginning on Tuesday, May 22nd. The other dates are May 29th, June 5th, and June 12th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on campus at the Walter Payton Center.

Some of the topics to be discussed are:
ideas for University-led community development projects;
increasing neighborhood leadership capacity;
identifying neighborhood problems and creating the solutions;
developing a community development project from A to Z; and
how to find funding for neighborhood projects (ranging from how to write grants and small development real estate pro forma; as well as, understanding and accessing tax credits (New Market and Federal and State Historic Tax Credits).

Dinner will be served each week and catered by a West Jackson business.

Limited space is available. Please RSVP by calling 601-979-2255 or emailing Carroll Frazier at carroll.k.frazier@jsums.edu by Friday, May 18.