by Amber Helsel
Photo by Stephen Wilson
On Robinson Street in west Jackson, an Ethiopian flag and a U.S. flag on a yellow house waft in a breeze. Inside, the house is filled with artifacts from different countries, including an ornately painted fan from Japan and a brown vase with a raised design of a church from Croatia.
The staff at the Center for Social Entrepreneurship—Chief Administrative Officer Robin Kurtz-Lendner (left), education intern Kia Johnson (back right) and Executive Director Shante Crockett (right)—help the people within its target area: the 13 blocks around the house’s location on Robinson Street. The boundaries are Central, Rose, Grand and Prentiss streets. Photo by Stephen Wilson The house is colloquially known as the "International House," and though its original purpose was to house international Jackson State University students, it's now home of the nonprofit organization the Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
Photo by Stephen Wilson Executive Director Shante Crockett says that when the students would come back from a break, they would bring items back to the house. Systems Consulting Associates founded the organization in 2007. In April 2016, it moved into the International House. When CSE moved there, organization staff asked JSU Gallery1 director Shon McCarthy help them identify and put the items together.
Photo by Stephen Wilson "When we moved in, stuff was everywhere," Crockett says.
CSE resides in a house dubbed the ‘International House’ because its original function was to house international students from Jackson State University. Crockett says that when students would come back from break, they’d often bring items from their home countries. Jackson State University Gallery1 Director Shon McCarthy helped CSE staff identify artifacts and put them together. Photo by Stephen Wilson CSE is a nonprofit that tries to improve the lives of the people in the surrounding 13 blocks (their target area), she says. "We use this area as a proof of concept, meaning this is our baby, our little sample area," she says.
Photo by Stephen Wilson The area's boundaries are Central, Rose, Grand and Prentiss streets. CSE focuses on education, community engagement, economic development and housing improvements.
Photo by Stephen Wilson For more information, visit cse-ms.org or find the organization on Facebook.
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