One of Our Most Candid, Inspiring “Conversations” to Date

Operation Shoestring’s 2015 Conversation About Community took a fresh, dynamic approach to an embattled issue–Mississippi’s consistent placement at the bottom of national educational performance rankings. With moderator Maggie Wade, WLBT facilitating the panel conversation, young people from public and private schools in and around the metro area talked about their experiences and ideas for improvement. Traeshaun Hiley, a junior at JSU, Lanier High grad and Shoestring afterschool program alum; Raveena Aggarwal, a senior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School; Douglas Campbell, a senior at Murrah High School; Edward Wiggins, a senior and student body president at Clinton High School; and Treshika Melvin, a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Millsaps College and Jim Hill High School, served as panelists. Following the panel discussion, the talk moved from the stage to every table in the room as JPS Academy Ambassadors facilitated discussions among attendees about how each of us might contribute to bettering the educational experience of Mississippi’s students. View photos from the event here.