We did it! We moved on to the next round! This time, we were there as they announced the winners of the next round at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in  Cleveland, Ohio.

Being named one of 33 semi-finalists out of 2,000 applicants (and the only one from Mississippi) for the 2023 Yass Prize allows us to develop and implement an innovative educational model and deepen our commitment to our community's rich cultural heritage. We also plan to uplift our young residents' futures. Our traditional programs in African-American quilting, music instruction, and its civil rights legacy are not relics of the past but vibrant aspects of our educational tapestry, uniting generations and grounding our students in their history.

We plan to create a microschool innovation hub, The power of microschools lies in their flexibility and adaptability, tailored to the community's needs and global trends. That's why we're fusing traditional arts with cutting-edge programs like drone technology, robotics, and community vegetable gardens. This blend of old and new will enrich our curriculum and broaden students' horizons, showing them that innovation and tradition are not mutually exclusive but can synergize to create something extraordinary.

The $100,000 award will be channeled to launch and enrich these unique programs. We will upgrade our technology infrastructure, create our community gardens, and invest in specialized instructors for our traditional and modern subjects. We aim to create an immersive learning environment that is as diverse, dynamic, and boundless as the minds we are shaping.

This prize provides us with the resources to bring that vision to fruition, impacting not just individual students but revitalizing education across the Mississippi Delta and setting a new standard for educational excellence nationwide.