The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program was funded through a generous grant by the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation. The Hearin Foundation was founded in 1965 to provide support through grants to educational institutions and charities, focusing on education as the best pathway to economic prosperity for Mississippi. In addition to the METP, the Hearin Foundation has supported the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Association, the Mississippi Opera Association, and other scholarships and educational programs at institutions of higher learning throughout Mississippi.
