WASHINGTON, DC – (March 2, 2018) – The Vivian Burey Marshall Academy (VBMA) was awarded the Governor’s Award for Exemplary Partnerships by the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education. The award recognized the outstanding partnership between the Vicksburg Warren School District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center, Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) member-schools Alcorn State University, and Jackson State University with VBMA to increase participation of underrepresented and often under-resourced students in STEM related fields.
Launched in 2016, through a collaborative partnership from the U.S. Army and TMCF, the Vivian Burey Marshall Academy is a four-year pilot initiative committed to providing students from the Baltimore, MD and Vicksburg, MS communities with access to a variety of Army-sponsored Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs that will engage and inspire the next generation of K through 12 talent. Students in grades six through10 will gain the opportunity to work side by side with Army scientists and engineers in a Department of Defense laboratory setting, gain real-world research opportunities and compete for national recognition in STEM competitions.
“VBMA is honored to work with outstanding partners in the Vicksburg community. Since the start of our program, we set out to align our project goals with the community and it has proven to have a major impact with our families but with our partners across the State of Mississippi,” said Dawna Taylor-Thornton, VBMA principal investigator & executive director. “We believe the work we do will directly impact career options for scholars and provide a talented pool of candidates for colleges and the workforce.”
For more information on VBMA visit: tmcf.org/vbma.
About Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). Publicly-supported HBCUs enroll over 80% of all students attending HBCUs. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education spaces. The organization is also a source for top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.