Place-based Partnerships

The M Partner model facilities curricular and co-curricular engagement opportunities from all academic disciplines across north Mississippi. Since 2018, M Partner has completed nearly 120 projects and engaged over 50 faculty/staff and over 800 students in the partner communities of Charleston (Tallahatchie County), Ecru (Pontotoc County), Lexington (Holmes County), New Albany (Union County), and Pontotoc (Pontotoc County). These projects have improved quality of life by supporting small businesses, promoting tourism, advancing food security, offering educational enrichment, promoting community health, elevating local history, and building capacity for nonprofit organizations.

M Partner is a certified member of the EPIC-Network. The Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities – Network (EPIC-N) is a nonprofit association with members all over the world. Its members unite the human capital of universities with local governments, and communities, to improve the quality of life and social wealth for all involved. In 2020, M Partner was recognized as a finalist for the EPIC-N Outstanding Program Award.

Commitment to place is central to the idea of M Partner. While the formal affiliation period with a partner community lasts for 2 years, the Grisham-McLean Institute is committed to fostering long-term collaborations in each partner community. The CREATE Foundation’s Community of Excellence initiative, of which the Grisham-McLean Institute is a part, holds community meetings to identify priority projects to be implemented under the leadership of local CREATE affiliates. Union and Pontotoc Counties, home to former M Partner communities, are actively engaged in this process, as are Chickasaw and Tippah Counties.