Members of the Mississippi Early Literacy Corps volunteer in classrooms for three-, four-, and five-year-olds, helping teachers implement the Mississippi Early Learning Guidelines and promoting family involvement in early childhood education. Thirty AmeriCorps members work full-time in this program.

The corps members are trained to use an observation checklist to assess children’s mastery of key literacy skills and then to work with individual children to improve their mastery of particular skills. During FY 2008, the corps worked in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Oktibbeha, Lowndes, Neshoba, Winston, De Kalb, Clay, Monroe, Chickasaw, and Lee Counties in Mississippi.

Tina Sweeten, M.A.N.M., directs this program.