Toyota Wellspring Education Fund

Congratulations to the 2026 Toyota Creating Your Future (CYF) graduates! Through the 15-week program, high school students are exposed to and prepared for a career in advanced manufacturing, all while gaining valuable workplace certifications.

Just another way Toyota is helping students imagine their possibilities!

Congrats to the 4T Graduates! Another successful Toyota initiative impacting students in NEMS!

The Frank K. Spain Foundation Internship, a partnership created by the Spain Foundation and the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund, provides Northeast Mississippi high school students with real-world career experience through a 100-hour paid internship that combines classroom instruction and hands-on learning with local employers. Each student has completed the YouScience assessment, explored career options, and gained skills
related to their career pathway of choice.

Thanks to the vision of the Spain Foundation, this program empowers students to discover new opportunities and build confidence in their career path of choice. Following the
Spring 2026 cohort of more than 100 interns, the program will have served 275 students since launching in 2022

Congratulations to one of our Frank K. Spain Foundation interns, Bethany Roberts, of Pontotoc High School on her success!

The Frank K. Spain interns are a partnership with the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund.

Gabe Hester-Senior Manager Electrical Engineer and Terry Bryant-Manager Welding from General Atomics were on Tupelo High School Campus to visit with Engineering 2 and Welding 2 students. The representatives spoke about career opportunities within the organization and about product assembly that takes place at the facility in Shannon, MS.

Pictured left to right are Career Coach Erica Golden, Terry Bryant, Career Coach Noah Bass, Gabe Hester, and Engineering Instructor Casey Pearce.

Congratulations to Gavin Houser of Pontotoc High School! He was chosen to participate in the Ashley Careers Program Opportunity.

Thanks to Ashley Furniture, Ecru, MS for making this opportunity available to so many students! What wonderful community partners!

Also awarded this opportunity were: LaKobie McMillian (Shannon High School),Tanner Collums (North Pontotoc High School), and Tai Smith (Ingomar Attendance Center).

The more you know, the further you will go!

Samantha Vickery was administered the YouScience assessment, five years ago, when she was a Sophomore at Pontotoc High School in Pontotoc Mississippi. She had several career matches in laboratory settings, such as chemical technician, biological technician, bioinformatics technician, and medical and clinical laboratory technician.

Due to Samantha's specific interest in Forensic Chemistry, she toured the Tupelo, MS Forensics Lab and took part in a Frank K. Spain internship when she was a senior in high school. She is currently a Sophomore in the Honors College at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she is majoring in Forensic Chemistry, is a member of The American Chemical Society and is a learning assistant in chemistry.

You can’t touch this! Yes you can! Our career coaches and students have experienced immersive virtual reality high-demand careers all without leaving the school! Through the Transfr pilot, our students have the opportunity to explore aligned classrooms-to-careers job training and more!

Looking forward to another great year showcasing local leadership and the lasting impact it continues to make on our region!

Hey, Northeast Mississippi — We're back !!! 🎉

Join us for the Commission’s Annual State of the Region event on May 6, 2026 at the Cadence Conference Center, starting at 9:30 AM.

We have an AMAZING lineup of speakers this year, and we can’t wait to share more details with you… stay tuned! 👀

Mooreville High School students, Mason Galarza and Cooper Gregory, want to pursue a career in HVAC. They spent time with the HVAC instructor at ICC/Belden to learn the difference between getting a certificate versus the degree. Plus, the students learned that HVAC involved more than just air conditioners! Mr. Alford, the HVAC instructor at ICC, shared the many opportunities for the students to have a successful career in the HVAC area.

Thanks to ICC Itawamba Community College Belden Center for showcasing all there is to offer on your campus and providing a wonderful experience for our students!