IDEA

08/13/2026

The 5th Annual Bob Moses Legacy Conference lands in Montgomery, Alabama this October 2 to 4, at the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Sites. We're proud to help spread the word.

Register and learn more: bobmosesconference.com

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From Reflection to Strategy to Action

As the nation commemorates its 250th anniversary, the conference confronts a fundamental question: is a multiracial, caste-free America truly possible? Grounded in the enduring legacy of Bob Moses — who recognized that literacy is a prerequisite for economic and political participation — this gathering calls upon our generation to confront the truth of history as a necessary step toward transformative change.

During the conference, we also celebrate the 45th anniversary of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Fellows Program (Moses was one of its first Fellows). MacArthur boldly invests in creative solutions to urgent challenges, sparking hope for our future. We, too, like the MacArthur Foundation, will be "Defying Boundaries" as we urgently step toward transformative change in our country's most urgent and neglected social issues.

The conference in Montgomery, a three-day experience, moves participants through a deliberate arc of education, connection, and activation — from a documentary screening to museum immersion to workshops and organizing commitments. In-person only. No live streaming.

Register and learn more: bobmosesconference.com

07/30/2026

The work of Community Schools doesn't begin with systems. It begins with trust.

Trust built through consistency, presence, and shared responsibility. Before the programs, before the partnerships, before the structure, there are people choosing to show up for one another, again and again.

That's where it all starts in Jackson. And that's why it lasts.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 6: Community Is the Strategy.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

07/29/2026

Applications are now open for IDEA’s Parent Leadership Institute (PLI), Cohort X.

PLI is a space for parents and community leaders connected to Jackson Public Schools who want to strengthen their leadership, deepen relationships, and support student success across our schools and neighborhoods.

If you are a JPS parent, grandparent, guardian, or community member who cares deeply about our children and our city, we encourage you to apply.

Apply here: https://bit.ly/apply-PLI-cohort-10

Learn more about IDEA's Parent Leadership Institute (PLI):
democraticeducation.org/parentleadershipinstitute

The IDEA Parent Leadership Institute (PLI) of Jackson seeks to inspire parent and community leadership from all who are raising future generations of leaders. The Institute is designed to build key skills in everyday people who have a passion for advocating for all children.

07/28/2026

Today we're lifting up the students getting ready for life after Lanier, through a partnership with Alcorn State University.

Throughout the last school year every Thursday at Lanier Jr Sr High School , a cohort of 20 students worked with Alcorn State to get ready for what comes next. They practiced resume writing, public speaking, and money management, and learned to navigate the choices ahead.

Through Pathways to Success, students leave with a clearer picture of the college and career choices in front of them, and a real plan for the life they want to build. The goal is simple: opening real doors.

To Alcorn State, and to every student in the cohort: we see you. Thank you.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 8: Nothing About Us Without Us.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

Sign up here for The Community Schools Chronicle newsletter:
https://bit.ly/TheChronicleEmailList

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

07/23/2026

Purpose. Presence. Possibility.

Showing up consistently doesn't just change what's possible. It changes lives.

That's the heart of Community Schools in Jackson: the steady presence of people who keep showing up for students and families, week after week. Out of that consistency, new possibilities open up.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 2: Purpose. Presence. Possibility.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

07/21/2026

Today we're lifting up the students earning real career credentials before they even cross the graduation stage at Lanier Jr Sr High School , through a partnership with Metro Booming Training Academy.

Right on campus, Lanier students train for skilled careers. Every certification is fully covered by scholarship, and the program is open to families and community members too – and the waiting list keeps growing.

Since the program began, 54 Lanier students have earned industry-recognized forklift certifications: real credentials they can carry straight into the workforce.

To Metro Booming, and to every student who put in the work: we see you. Thank you.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 8: Nothing About Us Without Us.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

Sign up here for The Community Schools Chronicle newsletter:
https://bit.ly/TheChronicleEmailList

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

07/16/2026

Ask anyone doing this work in Jackson and they'll tell you: building Community Schools takes everything you've got.

Dr. William Merritt, Chief of Staff at Jackson Public Schools, has been close to this work from the start. He doesn't sugarcoat what it asks of people, and he doesn't downplay what it gives back.

On the dedication behind the Community Schools movement, he put it this way:

"This is heart work, and this is hard work."

Both things are true at once. And in Jackson, people keep showing up for both.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 5: Rooted and Rising.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

07/14/2026

Today we're lifting up the Lanier Student Empowerment & Resource Center at Lanier Jr Sr High School , where no student goes without.

Inside Lanier sits a room stocked with food, clothing, and laundry, open to any student who needs it. Every student passes through, and every Community Schools program calls it home.

What started as just a few shelves has become the heart of Lanier's Community Schools work, the place students know they can always turn to. Here, one belief holds: care isn't a program. It's a practice.

To everyone who keeps the shelves full, the doors open, and brings life into the Resource Center: we see you. Thank you.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 8: Nothing About Us Without Us.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

Sign up here for The Community Schools Chronicle newsletter:
https://bit.ly/TheChronicleEmailList

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.

07/09/2026

One year of Community Schools at Lanier Jr Sr High School , by the numbers:

19+ active community partners.
20 students in every program cohort.
Five days a week of programs supporting students and families.

Behind every number is a person who showed up: a partner, a mentor, a family, a student. That's what a full year of Community Schools looks like at Lanier Jr./Sr. High School – people showing up, week after week, whether it was easy or not. At Lanier, community comes first.

From The Community Schools Chronicle, Issue 8: Nothing About Us Without Us.

Explore the full Chronicle collection:
https://democraticeducation.org/the-community-schools-chronicle/

The Community Schools Chronicle is a storytelling project by IDEA in partnership with Jackson Public Schools.