MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi KIDS COUNT is seeking nominations for the annual Success Story campaign, which highlights the work of organizations that improve the lives of children and families across the state.

Housed at Mississippi State University, Mississippi KIDS COUNT works to improve the lives of the state’s families by providing information to policymakers, educators, program administrators, parents, advocates and the general public. KIDS COUNT recognizes organizations that are providing a helping hand to Mississippi’s children.

KIDS COUNT seeks to identify schools, agencies, programs and communities that are making significant contributions in the area of child safety. Specific categories for recognition are transportation safety, school safety, prevention of child abuse and neglect, and environmental safety. The honors will be made based on the following criteria:

• The reach or potential reach of the program
• The degree to which the program assists children and families
• The need for the services offered by the program
• The ease of replication of the program to other parts of the state
• The spirit and intent of the program
• The degree of creativity and innovation involved in the program design
• The degree to which the program fits into its category

Please e-mail nominations to Anne Buffington at anne.buffington@ssrc.msstate.edu. The nomination must include the following information:

• The name and contact information of the program,
• The program director’s name,
• How the program fits the KIDS COUNT criteria, and
• The nominator’s relationship to the program.

Self-nominations are encouraged and accepted.

An independent panel will review all submissions, and selections will be made by mid-June. Success Story recipients will be featured in the Mississippi KIDS COUNT Data Book in Feb. 2012. A video outlining their work will be shown at the annual KIDS COUNT Summit in Jackson.

For more information about the award, contact Buffington at (662) 325-1590. For more information about Mississippi KIDS COUNT, visit http://www.ssrc.msstate.edu/mskidscount/.

Writer: Karen Templeton