One of the four pillars of MSMS is service. The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science has always valued service, and the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus is one of the ways the MSMS students give back to the the community. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, at least 40 students weekly travel to the Boys and Girls Club and either mentor participants or volunteer in the classrooms. Brittany Houston, Boys and Girls Club unit director, said, “My favorite part of working at the Boys and Girls Club is watching the students grow and change.” She has been with the program for about 10 years and loves what she does.

The children’s ages range from 6-8 years. The younger kids are assigned MSMS mentors who work with the students in subjects like math, English, science and social skills. According to Huston, “The children really struggle with having a consistent mentor. MSMS is providing a solution to this problem with the constant supply of volunteers. The Boys and Girls Club has several partnerships with other community schools including the Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi State that are providing extra assistance to the club.”

“This has given me an opportunity to better help my community and value the services that I can provide to the Columbus youth,” said Timothy Spivey, who volunteered at the Boys and Girls club last year.

The Boys and Girls Club plans to hold an event called Oktoberfest where surrounding schools will allow their students to proctor booths and provide the Boys and Girls Club students with activities and food. Houston hopes for MSMS’s continuous volunteer services throughout the year and their help during Oktoberfest. Houston hopes this will encourage the students to want to give back to the community.