News & Events

DeSoto Center-Mississippi Associate of Educators

Fall 2004 Update

Exciting things are happening on the DeSoto Center campus with the Mississippi Association of Educators student group.   The UM-DeSoto MAE group was started in September 2004, and they already have approximately 30 members. During the months of September and October, they had their first fundraiser selling UM DeSoto Center t-shirts donated by Continuing Studies. The sale was very successful in helping them create a chapter start up fund, and they are considering creating their own unique MAE design for a t-shirt sale in the spring.

In October, the advisor, Dr. Caroline Adams, applied for and received the Student Organizing and Assistance Resources (SOAR) Grant from NEA in the amount of $1,500. MAE is planning to use this money for membership recruitment, programs in the area for recruiting people into the profession to help with the teacher shortage problem, and for a Read Across America project in the spring in association with Dr. Seuss' birthday.

The weekend of October 22, 2004,  the officers,  Susan Van Velsor, Melonie Goolsby, and Kimberly Frederick, and advisor, Dr. Adams, attended the Fall MAE student conference in Jackson where they attended workshops on various subjects, such as classroom management, finding scholarships, and teaching in Mississippi. They were also able to meet members and sponsors from all over the state. During the October 26, 2004, meeting, Amy and Norma from the DeSoto County MAE chapter presented us with a check for $200.00 to help the UM-DeSoto chapter in its start up. Amy Koonce is a coach at Southaven Middle School and the treasurer for the DeSoto County MAE Chapter for the 2nd year. Norma, Amy¡¦s mother, is in her 33rd year of teaching and is currently at Horn Lake High School. Ideas for collaboration between the two chapters and improving member attendance and participation were discussed.