The AT&T Aspire Foundation has awarded the Meridian Freedom Project a grant of $15,000 to support local Freedom Project programs that will provide primarily low-income 9th to 11th-grade students with academic support, college preparation, and a college immersion program to bolster high school success and help create a roadmap for post-secondary education.

The AT&T Aspire Foundation works to bring together AT&T employees, nonprofits and community members to help equip students with the skills they need to lead the digital, global economy. AT&T is investing in innovative education organizations, tools and solutions, said C.D. Smith, regional director of AT&T Mississippi, in a statement.

Founded in 2014 and located in downtown Meridian, the mission of the Meridian Freedom Project is to grow a corps of academically capable, socially conscious, and mentally disciplined young leaders in Meridian, Mississippi.

The MFP is a year-round leadership development program that serves students from Meridian Public Schools, grades sixth-eleventh, by providing rigorous academic support, health and fitness training, character development, and opportunities for creative expression and academic travel. With this grant from AT&T Aspire, the Freedom Project will continue to grow its high school programming, focusing on building literacy skills, providing increased opportunities for college and academic travel, and helping students get on and stay on the pathway to college.

The City of Meridian is eager to see the fruits of the seeds planted through this partnership between the Freedom Project and AT&T Aspire when the first group of Freedom Fellows graduates from high school in two years, said Meridian Mayor Percy Bland in a statement.

The Meridian Freedom Project is a sponsored program of Meridian Community College and operated in partnership with The Montgomery Institute. To learn more, please visit http://www.themeridianfreedomproject.org.

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AT&T Aspire grants Meridian Freedom Project $15000 for high school programs - Meridian Star