The Center for Education Innovation opened its doors on July 1, 2008. Funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CEI focuses on five essential elements to improve education in Mississippi:

• Building and enhancing a culture of education in Mississippi
• Establishing early childhood education as a statewide priority
• Recruiting and retaining quality teachers in every classroom
• Recruiting and retaining quality administrators in every school district
• Building public will for public education.

In addition, the Center works as an agent for sustainable change in communities where poverty, low educational attainment and a lack of infrastructure intersect thus, leading to a low quality of life.