About

Born of the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-twentieth century, Operation Shoestring’s work helps create greater equity and opportunity for residents of central Jackson and serves as a catalyst for that work in the larger community.

our mission

Operation Shoestring invests directly in the children, families, and neighborhoods of Jackson, Mississippi, aspiring to transformative change by supporting student success, providing family-centered programming, and cultivating community.

We envision a thriving community for children and families where we all rise together united in purpose and prosperity.

our focus

Operation Shoestring provides year-round academic, social and emotional support to children in central Jackson from pre-K – 7th grade, while supporting and providing resources to their families. The aim is to empower the children and families we serve to create their own success, and that of their community, so we all rise together.

our impact

At Operation Shoestring, our programming decisions are driven by data—from parent focus groups and surveys to standardized test scores and census statistics. We’re proud to share these results from an analysis of our programming from 2020 to 2023.

We are proud to share these outcomes:

Students in our afterschool and summer program scored higher on the math, reading, and science MAAP tests than their school peers not attending our program.
Students in our afterschool and summer program performed better and with a higher proficiency rate on the 3rd grade reading MAAP tests than their school peers not attending our program.
Students identified as needing the most academic interventions grew more than their school peers not attending our program.
100% of parents enrolled in our parenting workshops expressed satisfaction with our program and reported that our wellness-focused workshops have benefited them. For example, we’ve seen a three-fold increase in parents being able to identify and manage high blood pressure!