A donor who wished to remain anonymous said his many lifelong connections with the University of Mississippi inspired him to make a $1 million gift to advance children’s literacy.
His major gift establishes an endowment that supports the Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction (CELI) in the School of Education and honors his late parents who were members of the Ole Miss family.
The donor cherishes how his parents conveyed literacy to their children and grandchildren, planting reading and creative writing.
“We tend to take reading for granted and forget that it can be hard won, not a birthright,” he said. “My father recalled how his mother, my grandmother, helped him for all time. The family budget was very tight, but my grandmother worked and saved enough money to buy all volumes of ‘The Harvard Classics’ for him. He could quote verses he learned from those books until he was very old.
“All through life, children learn skills of literacy that they can adapt and communicate to their own advantage. I hope my gift helps plant a long-lasting enthusiasm for how literacy’s skills can sustain them for whatever they wrestle with in a constantly changing world.”
The donor’s support will enhance CELI as it works with partners to build family, educator and community capacity to nurture children’s language, literacy and executive functioning skills. Founded in 2007, CELI sponsors programs throughout Mississippi including Mission Acceleration, Mississippi Jumpstart, Mind in the Making, Parent Academy and Thirty Million Words.
“His exceptional gift will ensure that more children and their families have access to programs that grow and strengthen children’s literacy development, setting them on a path to academic and lifelong success,” said Rutherford, a professor of teacher education.
She added, “Mississippi’s children are worth the investment because they define our state’s future. CELI staff and I are extremely grateful and humbled by his generosity and are so excited to see the impact of this investment on our children’s development.”
Funds from the gift will support and increase the number of Mississippi Campaign for Grade-Level Reading communities to help ensure all children can read on grade level by the end of third grade. This statewide campaign is based on the belief that schools succeed with community support, said Rutherford.
“Engaged communities mobilize to remove barriers, expand opportunities and help parents and schools fulfill their roles and responsibilities to serve as full partners in their children’s success,” she said.
Another focus will be on sustaining the family engagement and support efforts that are being implemented with grant funding. CELI also plans to purchase a van to transport UM students who work with pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students in communities outside of Lafayette County.
For more information on supporting the School of Education, contact Kelly Smith Marion, director of development, at ksmith13@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2007; or Drew Newcomb, development associate for estate and planned giving, at newcomb@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2270.
By Tina H. Hahn/UM Development