In 1994, Gulfside Assembly in Waveland, Mississippi set out on a mission to expose minority students to the importance of preparing themselves academically for a quality education. Today, as Gulfside celebrates 31 years of the Mission Educational Travel Study Seminar, that mission continues to stand as a beacon of hope and opportunity for youth and families across the region.
Over the course of these 31 years, four years were dedicated to special initiatives, including taking former Gulfside youth to Washington, D.C. for a Youth Leaders Training, New York for a Seminar on Poverty and navigating two years impacted by COVID-19 restrictions. For twenty-six of those years, Gulfside has focused on opening doors for minority students in grade eighth-12th through its transformative College Tour Program.
Each summer, Gulfside has taken students beyond the limits of their everyday environment, introducing them to futures filled with promise. Students have walked the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other respected institutions across the Southeastern United States. Many students from Marion County
have taken advantage of the Gulfside College Tour experience, gaining firsthand exposure to college life and academic opportunities that help shape their educational goals.
Through the years, colleges and universities toured include:
Mississippi: Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Rust College, Millsaps College, Mississippi Valley State University, and Tougaloo College.
Alabama: Auburn University, University of Alabama, Alabama State University, Alabama A&M University, Miles College, Bishop State Community College, Talladega College, Birmingham-Southern College, and Jacksonville State University.
Georgia: Clark Atlanta University, Fort Valley State University, Morehouse College, Savannah State University, Spelman College, Albany State University, and Gammon Interdenominational Theological Center.
Florida: Florida A&M University (FAMU), Bethune-Cookman University, Edward Waters University, and Florida State University.
South Carolina: Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, South Carolina State University, University of South Carolina, Voorhees College, North Carolina State University, Spartanburg Methodist College, and Wofford College.
North Carolina: Bennett College, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central
University, Saint Augustine’s University, Shaw University, Duke University, Methodist University, and the University of North Carolina.
Virginia: Hampton University and Norfolk State University. District of Columbia: Howard University.
Tennessee: Fisk University, Lane College, LeMoyne-Owen College, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, and Memphis Theological Seminary.
Louisiana: Dillard University, Grambling State University, Southern University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Louisiana State University (LSU).
Arkansas: Philander Smith College.
Texas: Huston-Tillotson University, Prairie View A&M University, and Wiley College.
In addition to campus tours, participants have experienced a wide range of educational, cultural, and service-learning opportunities. Students have visited mission and historical sites along their routes, helped build a Habitat for Humanity home in the hills of Asheville,
North Carolina, sewed “happy hats” for children with cancer at Fort Bragg, assembled backpacks for the homeless, participated in Fighting Hunger ministries, and explored
museums and theme parks—creating memories and lessons that extend well beyond the classroom.
This year, students from Marion County, Hattiesburg, Pascagoula, and Slidell toured LSU and Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as Millsaps College, Tougaloo College, and Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. While in Jackson,
participants visited the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and had the rare honor of meeting Freedom Riders and Civil Rights activists Hezekiah Watkins and Joan Trumpauer
Mulholland, listening to their stories and engaging in meaningful dialogue. Students also toured the Walter Payton Health & Recreation Center at Jackson State University.
“These experiences plant seeds,” said Ora Franklin-Rodgers, Tour Coordinator. “They show our young people that higher education is not just a dream, but a reachable destination if they put their minds to it.”
Gulfside is a 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 1923 by Bishop Robert E. Jones, the first African American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Gulfside partners with faith leaders, organizations, and agencies throughout the Waveland community, providing youth
life-skills training, uniform distribution, leadership development, senior programs, and support for a thriving community garden.
Gulfside extends a special thank you to Marion County supporters for their continued generosity and commitment as donors to the College Tour Program. Appreciation is also extended to Care at Residence Services (CARS), Frank B. Hendricks VFW Post 5393 of Columbia, Mississippi, individual donors, popcorn supporters, and the churches that faithfully sponsor children. This mission would not be possible without your unwavering support.
For more information about Gulfside’s history and programs, visit www.gulfsideassembly.org.
