By Christian Coffman

The Natchez Democrat

FERRIDAY — Students at Delta Charter School are working to curb poverty in the town. 

Betty Jo Harris’ two civics classes studied Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert Sargent Shriver Jr.’s war on poverty as a jumping off point for their Participation through Public Policy project.

The goal of the project was to get students to create detailed solutions for Ferriday’s less fortunate.

The students worked in groups, writing questions that students in other groups would have to answer in a creative way.

Students wrote their answers without talking, each taking turns answering questions at different tables in the classroom.

If the answers were too broad, students were asked by their peers to be more specific.

“Someone kept saying donate money, so I corrected it by asking to who,” sophomore Corley Greene said.

Students came up with several ideas, such as getting local organizations involved, donating to specific charities and repurposing old buildings.

“You could make old buildings into tutor classrooms for younger kids,” sophomore Emmy Foster said.

“I like how other people came up with many different ideas, people really thought outside the box,” junior Joanna Johnson said.

“I liked disputing each others’ answers and coming up with solutions,” sophomore Austin Tingle said.

The students took part in and completed the project on March 30, and their ideas were taken to Ferriday Mayor Sherrie Jacobs two days later.

“The project started conceptually, but we took our ideas to the mayor of Ferriday, so it was put into practice,” Harris said.

Harris said one of the driving motivators for the project was to increase community awareness and for students to think of ways they can help in the future.

“We started the project to make people more aware of the problem, but also solutions,” Harris said “I want my students to understand that issues that seem dull, also affect them. Sometimes I think our country has gotten to the point where we don’t vote on issues.”

The students said they agreed.

“I think this project made us realize what’s happening around us, and how we can change it when we’re older,” 10th-grader Morgan Lancaster said.

Harris said part of the issue of a lack of community involvement is the lack of attention civics receives.

“The way it’s set up, each year ninth- and 12th-grader have to take exams to pass the grade,” Harris said. “I know they have to pick and choose, but civics is not one of the subjects.”

“We were talking about public policy and how politicians solve problems,” Harris said. “If my students couldn’t pull out of the driveway and not see (those problems), then I don’t know what to do. We’re so used to it though, so it may be difficult for some to see.”