Mississippi Action for Community Education, Inc. is a non-profit, minority rural development organization created by community leaders in 1967 to stimulate physical, social, and economic development in the rural Mississippi Delta. Very early in its history, MACE learned that beyond the problems of race and poverty, there exists in southern, rural communities the broader, structural problem of underdevelopment; that for genuine community development to occur, the prerequisite human and organizational capacities must first be developed, the basic community social and political structures must first be created.
Student Services
YouthBuild MACE student environment is one filled with community and family. The participants and staff are referred to as community members and all see themselves as one big supportive family. Students come from all over the city and two counties; they are given opportunities to get to know each other through activities and social involvements such as:
Youth Policy Council
Participants are elected to serve as a student governing body. Policy members are involved in many major components of the program such as, interviewing new staff, press interviews, representing the group at local events, and meeting with the director to discuss issues which affect the program.
Award Ceremonies
YouthBuild MACE honors the hard work participants put forward toward changing the direction of their lives and finds many opportunities to recognize their success through
celebration.
Committees and Events
YouthBuild MACE has several events throughout the year which gives all participants an opportunity to exercise their individual creativity and develop leadership such as :
- Holiday Banquet
- Yearbook Committee
- Community Picnic
- Thanksgiving Dinner
- Other Activities
- Outings and activities are offered between intermittently so that the sense of spirit and family remains strong among the community.
