At the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, we believe Mississippi’s future begins with its next generation of leaders.
Through engaging educational experiences, leadership development, and hands-on opportunities in public service, we are helping young Mississippians discover the principles of economic freedom and develop the knowledge and skills to shape their communities.
Whether you’re exploring economic ideas for the first time, developing your leadership abilities, or seeking practical experience in government, there’s an opportunity to get involved.
Discover the principles of economic freedom.
The Liberty Roadshow brings interactive economic education directly to Mississippi high schools. Through engaging presentations and hands-on activities, students explore free markets, entrepreneurship, voluntary exchange, and the economic principles that shape their everyday lives.
Bring the Roadshow to your school
Develop your potential. Discover your influence.
The Liberty & Leadership Summit brings together engaged Mississippi high school students for an immersive educational experience focused on leadership, economic freedom, and the principles of liberty.
Explore the Summit
Put your leadership into practice.
Liberty Internships provide opportunities for promising young Mississippians to gain firsthand experience in government and public service, develop professional skills, and explore the institutions that shape Mississippi.
Explore internshipsFrom discovering new ideas to gaining practical experience, MCPP offers opportunities for Mississippi students to learn, lead, and grow.
Explore free-market principles through interactive educational experiences.
Deepen your understanding of economic freedom and develop leadership skills.
Gain firsthand experience in government and public service.
Explore potential opportunities for continued professional development and national fellowships.
This pathway describes a series of opportunities students may choose to pursue. Participation in one program does not guarantee advancement to the next or any placement.
Bringing economic education to Mississippi schools.
Now scheduling visits for 2026–27The Liberty Roadshow introduces Mississippi high school students to the principles of free markets and economic freedom through engaging presentations and interactive activities.
Students explore how trade, entrepreneurship, voluntary exchange, and economic decision-making influence their lives and communities.
Designed to encourage critical thinking and participation, the Roadshow brings economic concepts to life through real-world examples and collaborative learning experiences.
The Roadshow is free. Rather than relying solely on lectures, it uses short presentations, games, simulations, and student discussion to help young people understand how a free economy works in everyday life.
New civics requirement
From the 2027–28 school year, Mississippi public and charter schools must teach civics from eighth grade on — including public debate on current policy issues, civil discourse and critical thinking. The Roadshow gives your school a free, classroom-tested way to bring those debates into the classroom, with materials and facilitation provided.
From the 2027–28 school year, Mississippi public and charter schools must teach civics between grades 8 and 12, with instruction focused on the “ideals, principles and spirit of political and economic democracy.” The Roadshow gives your school a classroom-tested way to meet the economic half of that requirement — at no cost, with materials and facilitation provided.
Liberty Roadshow curriculum
A full Liberty Roadshow consists of five short sessions built around foundational economic ideas.
Session 1
How can millions of people who have never met cooperate to produce something as ordinary as a pencil?
Session 2
How do prices communicate information and coordinate the decisions of consumers and producers?
Session 3
Why does ownership matter, and what role do stable rules play in economic prosperity?
Session 4
Why do people trade, and how can voluntary exchange benefit both sides?
Session 5
How do profit, loss, innovation, and entrepreneurship encourage people to create value for others?
Students examine the ideas, test them in exercises, and argue both sides. They are encouraged to ask questions, consider competing arguments, and apply economic principles to real-world issues.
Liberty Roadshow
Students don’t simply listen to presentations. Activities ask them to work through economic concepts themselves and discuss real policy questions — for example, what happens when prices are capped following a hurricane, or who bears the costs of a tariff.
The standard visit. MCPP can also condense the program into a class period, block, assembly, or another format that fits your schedule.
Sessions are led by MCPP President & CEO Douglas Carswell together with guest academics from Mississippi universities.
The format follows the Free Market Roadshow model delivered in schools across Texas and Alabama.
Every visit closes with a short structured student evaluation, shared with the host school.
Mississippi high-school students — economics, government, and civics classes, as well as civics clubs, National Honor Society chapters, and student councils.
No cost to the school or students.
Develop
Developing Mississippi’s next generation of leaders.
The Liberty & Leadership Summit offers engaged Mississippi high school students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of economic freedom, leadership, and the principles of liberty.
Through educational presentations, discussions, and opportunities to connect with fellow students, participants explore the ideas and responsibilities that shape effective leadership.
The Summit builds upon the educational foundation introduced through the Liberty Roadshow and provides opportunities for continued involvement.
Details of the next Summit will be posted here when they are announced. For more information in the meantime, contact Elle Herrington, Liberty Outreach Coordinator, at elle@mspolicy.org or 601-969-1300.
Experience
Turning knowledge into experience.
The Liberty Internships initiative offers promising young Mississippians opportunities to gain practical experience in government and public service.
Through potential placements in the offices of statewide elected officials, participants can develop professional skills, explore careers in public policy, and gain firsthand insight into the institutions that shape Mississippi.
The internship initiative is designed to build upon the educational and leadership opportunities offered through the Liberty Roadshow and Liberty & Leadership Summit.
For teachers
Bring economic education to your classroom.
The Mississippi Center for Public Policy works with educators across the state to provide educational experiences and resources that introduce students to the principles of economic freedom.
Through the Liberty Roadshow, economic education workshops, and classroom resources, MCPP seeks to support teachers in helping students understand the economic principles that shape their communities and futures.
Discover opportunities to learn, lead, and make a difference in Mississippi.
Whether you’re a student interested in leadership and public service or an educator looking to bring economic education to your school, MCPP wants to help you take the next step.
