Founded in 1909, Piney Woods Country Life School is one of five historically Black boarding schools left in the United States. The school was founded by Dr. Laurence C. Jones an Iowan who came to the South with the goal of educating indigent Black farmers and their children. Piney Woods is located 21 miles southeast of Jackson, Mississippi.

Today, Piney Woods School's student body of 300 is composed of seventh through twelfth graders from throughout the United States, the Virgin Islands, and two African nations. The school's mission is to provide excellence in education within a Christian Community through the creation of an exceptional academic model which supports the tenet that all students can learn, develop a strong work ethic, and lead extraordinary lives through academic achievement and responsible citizenship.