Alcorn School District Partner Wins MAPE Governor’s Award
A nonprofit that teaches life skills and character lessons in Alcorn County classrooms has earned statewide recognition. Strategic Solutions for Families received the 2026 Mississippi Association of Partners in Education (MAPE) Governor’s Award for its partnership with the Alcorn School District, the Daily Corinthian reported.
Alcorn School District partnership reaches every campus
Strategic Solutions for Families works alongside the Alcorn School District to deliver character-building and life skills programs on every district campus, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Jennifer Palmer, director of grants for Strategic Solutions for Families, leads the organization’s work in Alcorn County schools. She credited the win to teamwork, saying the award reflects the partners involved rather than any one person.
Palmer pointed to team members Katie Rickman, Brittany Nooner and Noah Kuligowski, who work directly with students inside the schools.
What students learn
The programs cover a wide range of topics that go beyond regular classroom lessons. According to the newspaper, students work on:
- Bullying prevention: how to respond to bullying, practice kindness and ask for help when they are being harassed
- Decision-making: the real-world consequences of choices involving alcohol, drugs and sexual activity
- Empathy: understanding other points of view and working together across differences
- Planning ahead: making positive choices that set them up for the future
Palmer said the goal is to help young people understand “the real-world consequences of their choices in life and how to make positive choices for their futures.”
Support for teachers, too
The partnership also looks after the adults in the building. Strategic Solutions for Families helps Alcorn School District teachers with snacks and other resources during the busiest and most stressful parts of the school year. That kind of practical help lets teachers stay focused on their students when the pressure is highest.
About the MAPE Governor’s Award
The Mississippi Association of Partners in Education recognizes businesses, nonprofits and community groups that work with public schools to improve student outcomes. The Governor’s Award is one of the association’s top honors for school-community partnerships in the state.
For Alcorn County families, the recognition highlights how outside partners are helping schools teach social and emotional skills alongside academics. It follows other character-focused efforts in the district this fall, including the Kossuth Elementary tailgate that taught character lessons through games and activities.
Parents who want to learn more about the programs offered in their child’s school can contact their school’s front office or the Alcorn School District central office in Corinth.
Source: Daily Corinthian
