The McGehee Desha Alumni Community Center’s “heart” is in the Delta. The Center focuses its efforts in Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha and Drew counties with Chicot, Desha and Drew being located in the Arkansas Delta. The Center offers multi-social services to help individuals become productive members of our community through subject tutoring, workforce training and gainful employment. Our educational programs are both traditional and alternative; affording the Center the opportunity to not only render job education but also create jobs and grow forward to job retention. The Center also offer programs like Crisis at the Core, Preparing 6th through 12th Grade Students for College, the Sustaining Health through Agriculture Project, the Center’s Computer Lab and is now housing the C. B. King Memorial Training Center.

Early College Preparation – our NUMBER ONE GOAL is to equip our students with the knowledge and skills needed to enter and successfully graduate from college. To this end, the Center provides subject specific tutoring and computer literacy training for school age students 6th through 12th grade. Other areas of instruction include:

• The importance of grade point average and amassed letter grade from 9th through 12th grade
  
• Improving and maintaining good study habits
  
• How to search the Internet for (college) scholarships and grants
  
• How to write college admission cover letter and complete admission applications

Our computer literacy training is suited to the needs of adults; therefore, in late February 2012, we will design a three prong program for employed and unemployed adults that will include:

• Adult Literacy 
• G.E.D. test preparation for ex-offender and high school dropouts
• Using a computer for the first time and Microsoft Office Training
  
• Expanding Microsoft Office skills

The Bicycle Factory, located across the street from the Center at 409 Beech Street, is a single-focused program with a trilateral platform. The purpose of this program is to 1) introduce our student members to an entrepreneurial business and marketing model; 2) in and out of a classroom setting we will teach our student members what it means to be an entrepreneur as well as the aspects of starting and successfully operating a business; and 3) our student members will be responsible for repairing, pricing and selling the bicycles. Additionally, we will encourage our student members to invite non-members to our quarterly Open Forum – each Open Forum will be facilitated by business owners, professionals, educators and politicians and will cover, but not limited to, the following subjects:

Becoming a student member of the Bicycle Factory is as easy as 1-2-3!! A parent or legal guardian must complete the membership application, the Pick-Up Policy and Permission form, and the Photo Release for Minors form then bring all the completed forms as well as a wallet size photo of the child(ren), their Social Security Card and most recent report card to the Bicycle Factory or the Community Center (see Forms tab).

In partnership with Dana, Dawanavan, David Farms, MDACC has introduced our Sustaining Health through Agriculture project. The Center has embraced the agricultural essence of this area by calling attention to a healthy lifestyle through sustainable, organic gardening and/or farming. By growing produce and raising livestock, our students not only learn the importance of stating physically fit and how to make healthier eating choices, they also receive a hands-on education regarding expanding our local organic food system, stimulating economic growth, and the importance of entrepreneurial and marketing competency.

Located in our Bicycle Factory (BF) office building is our small memorial museum.  Some items on display are early 20th Century farming tools, weaponry, household appliances and books as well as all African-American cast Hollywood movie posters and (autographed) celebrity photographs.  Admission is FREE but donations are accepted.