At United Way of West Central Mississippi, we are committed to empowering the next generation through education, mentorship, and access to critical resources. Our Youth Opportunity initiatives are designed to uplift children and teens—especially those from underserved communities—by providing the tools they need to succeed in school and in life.
We support literacy intervention programs that help students strengthen foundational reading skills, setting them on a path to long-term academic success. Through our scholarship program, we recognize and invest in local high school seniors who have made a meaningful impact in their communities through volunteerism and leadership.
In addition to educational support, we provide mentorship opportunities through direct services, helping young people build confidence, set goals, and connect with caring adult role models. We are proud to partner with the Vicksburg Warren Youth Development Center to offer innovative programs and connect families with vital resources for children who are often underserved.
Together, we are helping to create brighter futures and stronger communities—one student at a time.
Believe it or not, our children's futures may well be determined by what their lives are like in their early years. This isn't opinion; it's scientific fact!
Excel by 5 is an innovative early childhood community certification process focusing on a community's young children. It emphasizes the important roles parents and early childhood educators play in the lives of children during their most formative years- birth to age 5.
Our Purpose is to engage communities to help give every child a chance to live up to his or her potential. This not only makes a positive difference in children's lives, it makes a positive difference in the future of communities.
How has our Coalition been active?
- Day of Action
- Community-wide Baby Shower
- Trunk or Treat
- FREE professional development for Early Ed Centers
- Monthly activity calendars
- Developmental Screenings
- Dolly Parton Imagination Library, register your child by following this link
United Way of West Central Mississippi aligns our community with the Mississippi Campaign for Grade Level Reading in an effort to help children and youth achieve their full potential. This partnership provides statistically proven resources, networking opportunities, and the necessary support to increase the number of children reading proficiently by the end of third grade.
- LEARN (Leaders Encouraging Advancements in Reading Now) -provides four books to every 3rd grade student in Warren County and provides a set in other parts of our service area
- Mississippi Reads One Book
- Offers literacy curriculum to summer programs along with a pre and post testing tool
- Distribute books across our service area
- Collaborate with the Excel by 5 Coalition
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a beloved literacy program that delivers free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five—right to their mailbox each month. This powerful initiative fosters a love of reading from an early age, strengthens parent-child bonds, and builds the foundation for lifelong learning.
Thanks to the generous support of Batesville Manufacturing, the Imagination Library continues to thrive in our community. Their sponsorship helps ensure that hundreds of local children have access to the joy and opportunity that comes from reading, regardless of their family’s income or background.
We are deeply grateful to Batesville Manufacturing for investing in the future of our youngest learners and helping us create a brighter, more literate West Central Mississippi—one book at a time.
LEARN (Leaders Encouraging Advancements in Reading Now) is a literacy initiative designed to promote a lifelong love of reading and support grade-level achievement across our region. Through this program, every 3rd grade student in Warren County receives a set of four high-quality books to build their home library and strengthen reading skills. Additional sets are also provided to students in other areas of our service region, ensuring that more children have access to the tools they need to succeed.
Third grade is a critical milestone in a child’s education—where learning to read transitions into reading to learn. LEARN helps bridge literacy gaps and encourages reading outside the classroom, with support from community leaders, educators, and donors who believe in the power of books.
By investing in young readers today, we’re helping build a brighter, more literate tomorrow for all.
Thank you to our sponsors: Regions Bank, Lorelei Books, Ergon, City of Vicksburg, Vicksburg Warren School District
This literacy program is designed to accelerate reading achievement for children from economically disadvantaged families in our communities, by providing the following support for struggling readers:
- an evidence-based intervention with explicit, systematic academic assistance in reading;
- a student-centered, personalized literacy experience;
- a new book every week matched to their interest, grade, and Lexile® reading level to increase book ownership;
- a meaningful connection with a role model for academic, social, and emotional support
TEENS UNITED is a dynamic youth leadership initiative powered by students, for students. This dedicated group is made up of high school juniors and seniors from across our community who are committed to making a difference through service.
Each year, members of TEENS UNITED plan and lead impactful service projects that address real needs in our area. From organizing donation drives to supporting local nonprofits and community clean-ups, these young leaders are creating positive change—one project at a time.
But they don’t do it alone. TEENS UNITED also serves as a peer recruitment team, encouraging classmates to step up, get involved, and be part of something bigger than themselves.
At United Way of West Central Mississippi, we believe in recognizing the next generation of changemakers—those who lead with compassion, character, and a commitment to community. Each year, we award two memorial scholarships to local high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding volunteerism and a lasting impact on our region.
Recipients of the Tre’vion Jayden Gray Memorial Scholarship and the Bruce Alan Ebersole Jr. Memorial Scholarship are selected through a thoughtful review process led by our Community Impact Committee, a group of dedicated volunteers representing various sectors of our community.
These scholarships honor the legacy of two remarkable individuals and celebrate students who are making a difference through service, leadership, and a passion for helping others. It’s our way of saying thank you—for giving back, for stepping up, and for shaping a brighter future for us all.
Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient community—one student at a time.