These five groups will get a hand catching up York County area students from COVID
More than $30,000 in grant money is on the way to help York, Lancaster and Chester county students offset the education gap created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duke Energy announced Wednesday it would grant $375,000 to 46 organizations across South Carolina. The money will go to tutoring, literacy and other education programs, plus efforts that promote social justice and racial equity in education.
Five of the recipient programs are in the tri-county area. Another is statewide.
In York County, the Anne Springs Close Greenway will get $8,500 to add more trained staff and update classroom supplies for its after school program. The money will help align the program with curriculum being taught in schools.
Parent company Leroy Springs & Co. has long been a partner with the Fort Mill School District, including programs like its after school Flyers. When the current school year began with virtual or hybrid education, the Greenway set up learning environments there to help parents.
Also in York County, the Stellie J. Jackson Enrichment Center in Clover will get $4,500. The faith-based community center serves preschool and elementary age children with after school and academic assistance programs. Money will be used to provide tutoring at the center four days a week for grades 3-7.
The third York County recipient is based in Rock Hill, but serves all three counties. Upper Palmetto YMCA offers wide-ranging after school care at its various locations. A $2,000 grant will go toward additional technology at Upper Palmetto’s after school homework center.
Lancaster County Partners for Youth is the lone recipient in that county. A grant for $7,500 will allow for more teachers at its Saturday Academy for K-2 students. That program serves students who are behind in reading and math.
In Chester County, a grant for $8,000 will assist the Jump Start Youth Foundation serve Chester County School District students age 5 to 18 who are having academic problems.
One statewide recipient is the Clemson University Foundation. Money will go to a program that focuses on under-represented freshman students in engineering.
COVID-19 shuttered schools abruptly in early 2020, forcing them online. This fall school districts opened with a range of virtual or hybrid (some virtual, some-in person) learning. It was a full year in Fort Mill from the first school closure to a time when all students could come back five days a week, and even then many remain virtual due to a year-long commitment to the virtual academy.
Rock Hill, Clover, York and other schools have had similar experiences navigating virtual versus in-person education. What administrators from numerous area districts have said throughout is, in-person school is the best option for most students when it’s safe to have students there.
Mike Callahan, Duke’s South Carolina president, said the grants announced Wednesday will help critical organizations curb learning gaps created by the pandemic.
“As the effects of the pandemic on our students and learning environments continue, after-school tutoring programs have become critical in addressing some of these learning gaps, and existing programs have been burdened to continue providing these valuable services,” Callahan said.
This story was originally published April 1, 2021 at 7:44 AM.
