The Center for Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) is a non-profit located at 1225 Robinson Street in West Jackson. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life of residents in its target community with a focus on education, housing, economic development and community engagement. As part of its education initiative, CSE has created the iVillage Afterschool Program at Barr Elementary. This includes small sets of books that the iVillagers work through to close the gaps in their reading skills. In addition, the program includes innovative, hands-on, literacy-based activities (e.g., practicing writing letters in shaving cream, bowling pins word challenges, etc.), homework assistance, and writing. The program also includes extracurriculars such as karate, coding and robotics, engineering and physics and an Entrepreneurship Club.

This semester the students in the Entrepreneurship Club are learning about budgeting, saving versus spending and wants versus needs. Students have made and are now selling papier-mâché pumpkins for $5.00 each and fall wreaths for $6.00 each. One-third of the money raised goes to the students for them to buy their own school supplies, one-third goes to the students for them to save and one-third goes to a charity of their choice. They will be making additional items through December.

If you would like to purchase an item please contact Robin Kurtz-Lendner, CAO of CSE at 954-668-1384 or email her at robin.cse.ms@gmail.com. Robin will arrange drop off and payment exchange.