PACES – Paths 2 success staying with time
From special reports
With PACES Kick-Off Pep Rally of early September, presentation of PACES member Tee Shirts in October and campus visits to Mississippi State University and Alcorn State University fading away into the recent past, the Parents and Community Equals Educational Success (PACES) Project is delighted to announce that it has completed the steps to introduce its' members to a new Learning by Experiencing activity.
B. "Joe"Hulin, PACES Project coordinator, said, "At this stage of the PACES' members' senior year, they will have completed a minimum of 25 community service hours toward helping others in the county, as well as submitted several college admissions requests and scholarship applications. Given that one of PACES stated goals is: "Helping Kemper County High School graduates to get from where they are to where they want to be in the Future', members of PACES board of directors believed the timing was right to provide PACES members new insight on post high school education options and potential career paths that existed in other than four year educational institutions. "
After much contemplation, coordination and planning and even better than anticipated PACES college tour was arranged. In February 2020 another PACES Project vision will become reality. PACES members' school schedule for the day will include high school classes and a visit to not one but two college campuses: East MS Community College in the morning and University of West Alabama in the afternoon. Indeed that will be a day to remember, PACES will stretch its Stride to allow its members to stroll along 2 Paths 2 Success and come away better prepared to make a more informed decision about their opportunities for post-high school education.
Hulin adds, "PACES activities for the 2019 and 2020 school year will not end there. The year will be rounded out by the PACES Choices and Consequences Exercise and PACES Reality Store Event for 9th graders, PACES Legislative Page sponsorship in March, four Financial Awareness workshops in concert with Commercial Bank for 9th through 12th grades, and will conclude with the year end PACES Awards Banquet in April.
PACES is an all volunteer program of the Kemper County Economic Development Authority that began in 2009.
PACES has the distinction of being a 2017 Partnerships in Education Excellence Award Winner. Included among their partners are Partners for Kemper Foundation, and The Phil Hardin Foundation. The above activities are just some of many events the organization coordinates or participates in throughout the year to assist Kemper County High School students with academic advancement and post-high school preparedness