The C.O.O.L.™ Education Project provides passionate volunteers from all majors and backgrounds with the opportunity to make a difference in their community. For those who are willing to commit a year of service to improving the lives of K-12th grade students in central Mississippi, a living stipend is provided monthly and a monetary education award is provided upon completion of their service term. SR1 C.O.OL.™ Educators use their passions to change the lives of others by assisting K-12th grade students year-round (i.e. academic year, Summer recess) with academics and social skills building, college access and success; encouraging, modeling, and supporting social skills development; and working alongside a team or independently to effectively achieve academic and social growth for K-12th grades students.

The C.O.O.L.™ Jackson Project is a year-round non-school hour based program designed to assist 9th-12th grade students from both Murrah and Callaway High School in Jackson with developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills necessary for college access and success through innovative hands-on tutoring, mentoring and enrichment activities. Students meet at Millsaps College to promote a college-going environment.

SR1 works with Forest Elementary, which is located in Forest, MS. We work with K-4th grade students; mostly African Americans and Hispanics. The days we work with the students are Tuesdays and Thursdays. On these days, we tutor the students on a variety of literacy skills in the morning from 9 a.m.-noon, during class time. We also have members to work with the students in the evenings from 2:30-5 p.m. The great part is, we get to work with Forest on more than just literacy skills; we get to do Soccer For Success, promoting healthy lifestyles through soccer, as well.

SR1 implements the Community Oriented Opportunities for Learning (C.O.O.L.™) Literacy Project in Central Mississippi with 3rd-8th grade students who are below grade-level readers. The goal of the project is to foster and improve academic success through reading and writing. The C.O.O.L.™ Literacy Project provides extensive and innovative literacy services using evidence-based techniques that facilitate an increase in reading comprehension, as well as writing skills. Specialized reading times take place to encourage reading in a relaxed environment, while stimulating discussion among the students. Students participate in on-site book clubs to influence collaboration among students and to facilitate communication while make reading a fun group activity.

The Community Oriented Opportunities for Learning (C.O.O.L.™) Entergy Project aims to increase the academic success, social skills, energy management, and innovative usage and promotion of alternative energy sources among K-12 students in Central Mississippi. The year-round project utilizes Entergy’s Nuclear Energy curriculum and LEGO renewable energy robotics to assist the students in understanding and exploring energy sources. Students serve as junior engineers to investigate energy supply, transfer, accumulation, conversion, and consumption while using measurements and data analysis to describe and explain energy outcomes. College visits to Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering and the University of Mississippi’s School of Engineering further promote the project’s goals.