Educational Visions Organization

Early in his teaching career in Gulfport, Miss., Corey Lombard realized that students couldn’t dream of becoming something they had never been exposed to. Many students had never been to a college campus or had family members who’d experienced college life. Working with fellow teachers and coaches, Lombard sponsored trips to college sporting events and college tours and even a trip to an area beach, a first-time visit for some, many of whom don’t know how to swim or had never gone fishing, despite their proximity to natural bodies of water. The educators also exposed students to issues around environmental justice, leading students to conduct water quality samples, with the hope that such activities would pique their interest in environmental careers. He continued his mentoring and outreach after retirement, founding Education Visions Organization (EVO) in 2019 to provide educational and social experiences, mentoring and tutoring to students and parents from low-income communities.

Educational Visions Organization seeks to address the poverty cycle, school dropout rates and parental and peer influences that may hinder academic success by providing experiences that reinforce the merits of a good education. One of EVO’s first projects after being founded was travel to Ethiopia, where Lombard and two educators researched Gulfport, MS native, aviator and activist Col. John C. Robinson. Educational materials were created after the trip and shared with schools, churches and museums. EVO also created a summer camp curriculum at the Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum and secured scholarships to the camp for needy students. In addition to continuing to expose students to college life and cultural activities, EVO sponsors events in which both students and their parents can participate, such as an Hour of Code, where they learn how to code dance videos via code.org.