Caitlin Williams, a sophomore at Lafayette High School, and Edith Marie Green, a freshman at Oxford High School, were selected for the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation’s Summer Youth Institute class.

After a rigorous and competitive application process that includes written essays and phone interviews, the seventh class was selected.

The group of 28 was selected from a competitive applicant pool of nearly 100 current ninth- and 10th-grade Mississippi students representing 35 Mississippi high schools.

While at SYI June 11-19, students will receive leadership training and delve deeply into civic engagement and social justice through both in-depth sessions and workshops with world-renowned experts, and field excursions to Neshoba County and Greenwood  where they learn local civil rights history.