The Mississippi Action for Progress, Inc. Volunteer Committee of the Policy Council commissioned and organized the Alumni Association in 1996. The mission and goals of the Alumni Association as determined by the Volunteer Committee of the Policy Council are to (1) provide follow-up services to children who attended MAP Head Start and who are currently enrolled in kindergarten classes; (2) track recent graduates of the Head Start program for one year following graduation; (3) determine if graduates have had a successful transition from Head Start to kindergarten or first grade (gather data on academic progress, health, and parent involvement, i.e., accurate identification of speech and hearing needs, and dental problems); and (4) develop a mentor program for tutoring and counseling children and parents for the first year of school.
The MAP Alumni Association is associated with the National Head Start Alumni Association. In conjunction with the National Association, the MAP Alumni Association will include advocacy, fundraising, public relations, and promotions of the Head Start program as part of its agenda. MAP, like other local chapters that affiliate with the National Association, will automatically become members of National.
Since being commissioned, the MAP Alumni Association has met regularly, with the assistance of Attorney Constance Slaughter-Harvey, to develop the details of its goals and formulate the strategies for accomplishing them.