♪ Hello, South Carolina.

I'm Jada Samuel, Miss South Carolina, 2023 and I'm excited to welcome you to YOU CAN: ETV's Back-to-School Town Hall!

Today, we gather as a community united by one common goal: to inspire, inform and engage as we embark on another exciting academic year.

Education is not only the foundation of our society, but also a journey of growth and discovery for all learners.

Let's embrace the power of "YOU CAN" and make this journey extraordinary!

We have a fantastic program prepared for you today, featuring esteemed state education agency heads, passionate educators, and education professionals, and visionary community education leaders who will share their insights and expertise.

Our aim is to equip you with knowledge, empower you with resources, and foster meaningful dialogue.

Together, we will create an environment that nurtures the brilliant minds of our students.

Now it's time to get started with the discussion.

First, we have executive representation from South Carolina's state education agencies.

We want to give them an opportunity to greet South Carolina learners and their families, then ask a few questions, some of which were prepared by staff, others that were posed by the public.

First, we will start with South Carolina Superintendent of Education, Ellen Weaver.

Superintendent Weaver, please greet South Carolina families and tell us about state department priorities for the upcoming year.

<Weaver> Well, it's an incredible joy to be here today at the beginning of a new school year.

This is a time of such powerful purpose and possibility and new school supplies.

Who doesn't love new school supplies?

And so I'm so incredibly excited to be here.

Here in South Carolina, we have two state mottos: "While I breathe, I hope," and "Prepared in mind and resources."

So I like to tell people that we have twin mottos of hope that inspires hard work, and that's really what education is all about.

When I heard that our theme today was going to be You Can , I was so excited because I want every single student in South Carolina to internalize that and say "I can."

This is the year that is going to be the brightest year yet in my education journey.

And so here at the state level in South Carolina, we are putting a laser focus on literacy.

That is the most foundational skill that all of our students have to have if they're going to be successful.

So I'm excited to talk more about that as we get into the panel.

But thank you for having me today.

<Jada> Thank you.

Joining the panel, we also have President of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, Dr. Rusty Monhollon.

Dr. Monhollon, please say hello and tell our audience about the Commission on Higher Education and how it supports the state's education and workforce infrastructure.

Thank you, Jada.

And hello, South Carolina.

It's such a pleasure to be here.

And I echo Ellen's sentiments as well.

The Commission on Higher Education is the state's coordinating body for public higher education.

We perform a number of different functions, including approving new academic programs, coordinating activities among both two year and four year institutions.

Experts predict that 60 to 70% of all new jobs will require some kind of training or education post-high school.

The commission has set a goal, a statewide goal of having 60% of our working age population holding a high quality post-secondary credential by the year 2030.

High quality, high value refers to a credential that leads directly to employment or to continued education.

This would include certifications, associate degrees and baccalaureate degrees.

We're a ways away, but we've been making steady progress and I think getting to that goal is absolutely crucial for the state's prosperity and success.

<Jada> Next, there's Tim Hardee.

Dr. Tim Hardee, President of the South Carolina Technical College System.

After greeting our audience, we also ask that you speak to the South Carolina Technical College System and how it supports our state's education and workforce infrastructure.

<Hardee> Thank you, Jayda.

It's a pleasure to be here today and to talk.

And thank you so much for ETV for the invitation.

I represent the South Carolina Technical College System, which is comprised of 16 technical colleges spread across the state of South Carolina.

We serve a little over 100,000 students each year across the state.

And while we're a part of higher education, as Dr. Monhollon mentioned, we teach English, math, history and science like all parts of higher education.

But our focus is on workforce development.

Our mission as the South Carolina Technical College System is to provide a good job for South Carolinians.

We work closely with four year institutions.

We work closely with the K-12 system for students coming straight out of high school, entering our technical college system.

But the ultimate goal is not just to enroll students, but to get them to graduation and then from graduation to a meaningful job here in the state.

So we're laser focused on that mission of providing a good job for South Carolinians.

<Jada> And rounding out this segment is Martha Strickland, state 4K, Director of S.C. First Steps.

Martha, please say hello to South Carolina and tell us about your great mission of supporting early learning families in our state.

<Strickland> Thank you, Jada.

I'm absolutely thrilled to be here.

50,000 bright eyed little children will be entering kindergarten in South Carolina this year.

That's a big number, right?

50,000.

We at South Carolina First Steps, we have an initiative called Countdown to Kindergarten that has served those families over the summer.

There have been and will be continuing.

There are 48 events in South Carolina.

So check out CountdownSC.org as we support families throughout that kindergarten transition.

But we also know that 90% of the brain development for children happens before they turn five.

It's important for us to capture those young brains and think about how we can support families early.

So our legislature and our governor have created and supported a program that is called the Child Early Reading Development Education Program.

CERDEP is the acronym that we use.

It's between the State Department and South Carolina First Steps 4K, we co-administer this program.

It is really a national standard.

It's a groundbreaking, mixed delivery system that we in South Carolina are proud to be a part of.

In South Carolina First Steps 4K, we have over 330 classrooms right now ready to receive four year olds.

So it is groundbreaking that parents have choices in South Carolina as early learners to begin with their small children with their four year olds.

But it is imperative to get children in school.

So I urge you to check out our website Free4KSC.org.

Thank you, Jada.

<Jada> Thank you, Martha.

The first question goes to Superintendent Weaver.

The public is expressing concerns about school choice and equity.

Can you share more about your plans around school choice and how you ensure equitable access to quality education for all students?

<Weaver> Well, that is a wonderful, wonderful question.

And building a little bit on what Martha was just talking about and the choices that parents have and want in the pre-K space.

Everywhere I've traveled in South Carolina, I've talked to parents, to grandparents, to community members who just want to ensure that their child gets the best education fit for them, whatever that environment is.

And and we know that choice is built on a strong public education system.

And that's why I'm so passionate for the job that I get to get up and do every day.

But we also know that one size doesn't fit all and that children have individual learning needs that may require them to be in an environment outside the traditional classroom.

And that's why I'm so excited to have just been able to spend time with my state colleagues from all over the country talking about what they're doing to ensure that equal opportunity and equal access.

Here in South Carolina, we have some wonderful traditional public schools.

We have public magnet schools, public charter schools.

We have very strong homeschool laws.

We have private schools, there are some robust virtual education that is happening, too.

And so as we think about what the education ecosystem of the future looks like, we know that it's going to look different than the education system of the past.

And so the question is, how do we build this ecosystem in a way that supports equal opportunity and equal access, whatever your income level, whatever community or corner of South Carolina you live in.

And so that's something that I'm committed to.

I know Governor McMaster and our General Assembly is committed to, and that's why I'm so excited for the incredible year that we had in the legislature this year for public education.

We saw $600 million in new investments in our public education system.

And so now it's my job to come to work every day with the team and to talk with our district superintendents, our principals, our teachers, and figure out how we can really deliver a return on investment for that incredible belief that our General Assembly has expressed in our public education system.

So I'm excited for the future and for the opportunities that our students are going to have.

<Jada> Thank you.

Martha, we know that a great percentage of South Carolina's preschool age children are not enrolled in preschool programs.

Can you talk to us about the measures in place to ensure that every child in South Carolina has access to quality preschool education?

For those families choosing not to enroll, what resources are available to support kindergarten readiness?

<Strickland> I love that you said the word "access," Jada.

that is huge in South Carolina.

We have large communities with many opportunities and we have lots of rural areas in South Carolina.

So we are charged to make sure that we can provide that access throughout South Carolina.

Our state's preschool development grant, we created a website called Palmetto pre-K. PalmettoPreK.org.

I'm just going to be full of websites today.

That website we have designed, it was through partnership with Headstart, with the Department of Social Services, with the State Department of Education and First Steps 4K.

This is to offer parents opportunities for what is best for the family.

They can look through all those agencies and decide for my three year old, for my four year old.

These are publicly funded programs, what works best for my family.

So I urge you that's another website to check out, PalmettoPreK.org to help open those doors of access, Jada.

<Strickland> Thank you.

<Jada> Thank you.

<Jada> The next question goes to Superintendent Weaver.

Dr. Hardee, and Dr. Monhollon, with the rapidly changing job market, how are your education agencies building schools and adapting curriculum to ensure graduates have the skills and knowledge needed for careers of the future?

<Weaver> Do we want to start at the K-12 end of the pipeline and work our way up?

<Hardee> Sure.

<Weaver> Okay.

Excellent.

<Weaver> Well, you know, really foundational skills are the most important thing that our students have to have if they're going to be prepared to go on to whatever pathway, whether that is college or career or military.

And so that's our goal here in South Carolina, is to ensure that our students, when they graduate from our K-12 schools, are ready for whatever opportunity life has next to them, whether they're going on to be with Dr. Hardee or one of our four year institutions, those foundational skills.

And I come back to literacy.

I am so excited about the work that South Carolina is doing right now in early literacy to promote the science of reading.

And what that means is that we are training our teachers with the skills and the brain science that they need to understand what they're seeing in their struggling readers and their struggling students, especially in those early grades.

And then to be able to diagnose and intervene with those students with the customized education that they need to make sure that they stay on track in those critical early grades, K through three, so that when they get to high school and they're considering am I going to look at a four year institution, am I going to think about maybe doing some dual enrollment or maybe working in one of our CTE centers?

We just had an amazing CTE center, Anderson Institute of Technology, that was featured in national media for the awesome work that they are doing.

So we have incredible pathways that we are building for our students that are customized to what their interests are and to where they can thrive best in their life.

But it all starts with that foundational skill of literacy.

<Hardee> Jada, I would say for the technical college system, it's a two pronged approach.

One is about a third of our students across the technical college system are in health care programs.

We provide thousands of nurses and medical assistant and surge techs.

But at the same time, while we have a shortage in those health care fields, we're also focusing on new and emerging industries.

You've probably heard a lot about electric vehicles and battery suppliers.

Those are new programs for us with the technical college system.

So while we will continue to offer those programs we have consistently in the past with the technical college system, we work closely with the South Carolina Department of Commerce as they attract new industries to come to South Carolina to be able to meet the demands of those new jobs and how that job market is changing here in South Carolina.

<Monhollon> We at the CHE are always trying to understand better what it is employers are wanting and needing in employees.

And as we are, we approved new academic programs for both two year and four year institutions.

So when we review those proposals, we look for evidence that the skills that employers tell us they want, whether it's better communication, analytic skills, problem solving, teamwork, can we find evidence of that in those program proposals?

In some instances, we will only approve programs in certain fields, in high need fields such as nursing, for example.

We also require all institutions when they propose new programs to provide us information about the state of regional and local need or demand for workforce in that area.

It's a crucial step.

And not all programs, you know, kind of are directly related to workforce.

But we're making a very concerted effort to make sure that more and more of our programs are addressing the needs of the state and helping to meet the state workforce needs.

<Weaver> And Jada, if I can just jump in real quick, I used an acronym earlier, CTE, which is Career and Technical Education.

We have a lot of jargon in education, and sometimes I don't realize that I'm using it, but I wanted to celebrate a massive success here in South Carolina.

So we have added computer science as a graduation requirement in South Carolina.

We are actually leading the nation in that and we are also working with the State Department of Education to develop curriculum that will help our students learn how they can be part of the growing AI industry.

It is both exciting and terrifying simultaneously, but we know that our students are going to have to be prepared to live in that environment.

So those are massive successes where South Carolina is actually leading the country.

<Jada> That's awesome.

The audience is also curious about the State Department's support of adult education and the technical college system's engagement with adult learners seeking career changes.

Superintendent Weaver and Dr. Hardee, can you respond respectively?

<Weaver> Well, we have about 500,000 people in South Carolina that don't have a high school diploma or a GED.

And so one of the missions of the Department of Education is to help engage those adult learners so that they can become productive and employable citizens.

And so we have an Office of Adult Education that serves about 20,000 adult learners every year.

About 5000 of those have gone on in a year's time to get their GED.

And we continue to work in close partnership with Dr. Hardee to figure out what we can do to address the remediation needs of our students who are coming to the end of their high school journey and and haven't yet gotten that credential.

But we know that that credential is essential for employment, for meaningful employment, that can support a family.

And that's about the economic future of South Carolina.

So, Dr. Hardee?

<Hardee> And while we want these people to earn their high school diploma, we also want to make sure they have a marketable skill.

And that's where the technical college system comes in that we can work with at our education programs across the state.

And while the person is completing that GED, to have them to simultaneously enroll in one of our technical college programs so that they exit at the same time, they have earned a high school diploma, but they also have a marketable skill to be able to go out and get a good job here in the state of South Carolina.

And so that's a partnership for us to be able really fast track people into the job market and do that in a collaborative effort with the State Department of Education and the technical college system, that ultimately what we want, as I mentioned earlier, about attracting new industries into South Carolina, they want a skilled workforce and that's the part they don't have a problem with someone that maybe was not successful, their first go around with the K-12 system, and they're now back as an adult education student.

Our unemployment rate in South Carolina is 3.1%.

So it is a market right now that if you have a marketable skill, there's a good job for you.

And we're trying to encourage those 20,000 South Carolinians that need to complete a high school diploma to do that, but also gain that marketable skill.

<Jada> And with that, we will wrap this segment of our town hall.

I want to thank our esteemed guests for their leadership in education and their participation today.

After a quick break, we will return with another panel of esteemed educators.

♪ In keeping with Superintendent Weaver's prioritization of literacy and educator retention, in addition to higher education's focus on workforce development and lifelong learning, we've invited educators and school counselors to join us for the next segment.

Joining in this segment are Abbey Duggins Director of Early Learning and Literacy for the South Carolina Department of Education.

Kaye Jamison, President of the Palmetto State Literacy Association.

Allison Glenn, School Counselor, Pelion Middle School Anna Duvall, Student Counselor and Career Specialist Liaison for the South Carolina Department of Education.

And Terry Atkins, Active Retired Teacher, also joining us from the front row.

I'll jump right in and ask a few questions.

At ETV, we acknowledge and celebrate teachers.

Mr. Atkins, we know that you are a retired and active teacher.

Can you talk to us about what's needed to retain and recruit teachers?

What do parents know and what do parents need to know about building productive relationships with teachers?

<Atkins> I think one of the things that we need to do to to retain teachers is to let them have a voice in the educational decisions.

One of the things that I've done over the years is I've taken charge of my own staff development.

And so I have to go to a lot of staff development.

When I look at the kids in my classroom, what I did the year before and what I can do better, I listen to them and see what their needs are.

So I think educators need to listen to them.

I spend a lot of time going to staff developments that I've been to over and over again.

So I think you need to make sure that you stay in touch.

I just happened to call a school of a principal that I knew and said, "What can I do part time?"

And she said, "I really need somebody full time."

So that brought me back into the classroom and the love of learning.

So I think you need to sort of keep a relationship going with those who are about to retire and and be ready to hire them part time or full time.

There's a teacher who retired this year and I talked her into going back just to a couple of classes.

In terms of parents, I think great communication with parents.

One of things that I do early in the year is that I try to communicate with parents when kids are going off track or when they are off track, and I let them handle the behaviors.

I say, "I'll let you handle it," and usually I have a great relationship with that parent throughout the year, and I brought in parents when I seen the kids were going on the edge.

And we've gotten together and we formed a great bond between us.

So I think that's very, very important that you communicate with parents and let them know that you're just as invested in a child's education as they are.

<Jada> Thank you, Mr. Atkins.

The public is interested in getting a better understanding of the literacy issue in general.

Abbey, can you help us understand the literacy challenge from an early learning perspective?

What can families do to cultivate strong readers earlier?

<Duggins> Jada, Thank you for that question.

It's so important.

We know that reading and that strong foundation in literacy skills is absolutely critical for our youngest learners and really sets them up for success as they progress through their life.

And so when we think about fostering that love of reading, but also the skill of reading, we heard Superintendent Weaver say in the earlier segment that there's just a laser focus at the state level to prepare our teachers, equip our teachers with the skill and knowledge to reach all readers that come into their classrooms.

And so we at the state agency are so proud to support schools and districts in that work, but we can't do it alone.

Mr. Atkins, you just referred to parents and families and the partnering they can do with our schools.

And so, Martha, in the earlier segment, talked about some great resources, some great websites.

We encourage people to access those resources and parents and families.

There are so much you can do in that early learning space to prepare your little learners before they go off to school.

We talk about something called Strive for Five.

When we engage our youngest children in conversation and let's try to get five exchanges back and forth.

And parents can model for students really great turns in conversation, really great vocabulary.

The more students engage in literacy rich conversations, the more likely they are to bring to school some of those foundational skills.

And really, just reading with your kid, singing with your kid when you are at the grocery store with your child having conversation about what they see, what numbers they see, what colors, and just developing that really strong vocabulary.

<Jada> Kaye, what are your thoughts on literacy across the board?

What's needed to help more students fall in love with reading?

What suggestions might you offer for building better relationships between schools and media specialists?

<Kaye> Well, that's a great question.

I'm very passionate about instruction, but first and foremost, you've got to build those relationships with students and within the classroom and with the parents, because no one wants to learn until you have a relationship.

And as Abbey mentioned, it begins with our early learners.

They have those early literacy skills, they need to learn how to read, how to think, how to collaborate with their peers, and how to write about their reading.

And then in the upper elementary, they've got to still just learn those intermediate skills.

And then at the secondary level, the students need to learn those specialized disciplinary literacy skills.

It's very imperative, as you mentioned, the professional development, and I say that teachers need to be committed, they need to grow and they need to empower.

They need to grow in their learning as our world changes today.

To empower all of our students.

Not the easy ones, but just all of our students and for our media centers.

Oh, my gosh.

I just love media center specialists, but they are a very important part of the educational process.

When they collaborate with other teachers and I think that's one of the most important roles that they have, is to collaborate.

And I feel like to build those strong relationships, the school and the media specialists, they need to have a collaboration strategy framework in place.

They need to have a shared vision with their collaborators.

The administrators, they need to be very supportive.

You need to check your strategies and data, analyze that, and just make sure that we are doing what is best for our students and have discussions about their achievement and also literacies and books.

Thank you.

<Jada> We know that literacy has a profound impact on society.

It enlightens, expands imagination and unlocks human potential.

But in addition to literacy rates, there is also public concern about the health and well-being of students present and future.

So how can we break down stigmas around seeking counseling and support and encourage students to utilize available resources when needed, especially accommodations?

We'll start with Allison.

<Allison> So as a school counselor, we are tasked with working with students in three different areas.

So we work with students with social emotional.

We work with students in academics, and we also work with students in career development, social, emotional, being one of those areas where post-pandemic we've seen our students struggle the most.

This is why it's important for school counselors or counselors in general, or even teachers just to take that extra step to spend time with their students, go into the classroom, go into the cafeteria with them during lunch where you just say, "Hey, how's your day going?"

You know, "Are you struggling with anything?"

"Is there anything you would like to just talk about?"

Just taking that extra step to build that relationship.

I've gone as far as calling home to say, "Hey, just want to check in and see how things are going.

"If there's anything that you guys need assistance with or if your child is struggling with something," utilizing your resources as a parent first.

I'm also an educator, but a parent first.

So I have children at all levels.

One in elementary, one in middle, one in high school.

So I work with students from all different arenas.

But it's just utilizing those resources and making sure that we keep the door open for communication so we can always know what's going on with our kids.

<Jada> Anna, how can we enhance collaboration between school counselors, teachers and administrators to create a more holistic approach to student support?

What measures are being put in place at the state level for this and how are districts and schools approaching collaborative support on the local level?

<Duvall> Thanks, Jada.

I love this question because coordinating different educational stakeholders is at the core of what a school counselor does.

School counselors are uniquely positioned to engage with different types of stakeholders, be it parents, teachers, administrators, the district office staff, but also our community partners and our business and industry leaders.

They can engage with them to collaboratively build that scaffolding that's going to support our students and just maximize their success.

In South Carolina, we have the South Carolina Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling and Career Guidance model, and this is actually a roadmap to help schools create appropriate school counseling programs.

It teaches school counselors how to to define their counseling program, how to gather the information needed to to plan different interventions, help them look for weaknesses and data from the different stakeholders, also from some school data like attendance and discipline and test scores and grades.

But collaboratively, with all the stakeholders identifying the areas of weakness and areas that there are some achievement gaps that the whole school can work on collaboratively.

So at the state level, we do offer training in this model.

Oh gosh.

Virtually on demand and on site.

And our hope is that we're empowering our districts to foster that collaboration that's needed in order to make the model work.

Several schools have already embraced this model, and some of our schools have even been recognized nationally for the work that they've done, one of which might be Pelion Middle School.

So we know that using this model works, is what's best for students, because it makes the whole school community work together to support them.

<Jada> Well, we thank our panelists for the work they do to promote exploration of new horizons, dreaming big, and turning aspirations into reality.

We'll be back in a few seconds.

♪ Welcome back.

We know that engaged communities and families create a transformative ripple effect in any landscape.

For this segment, we have five stellar family engagement and community education representatives joining us.

They are Levon Kirkland, former NFL player and South Carolina Football Hall of Fame Ambassador Dr. Katrina Hutchins, affectionately known as Dr. K, creator of "My Voice Is Powerful" series, Director of the Voice Leadership Camp for Girls and Boys.

Rashawn Aaron, founder of the Village Educational Services, and Karen Utter, Director of the Carolina Family Engagement Center.

Rosemary Martin-Jones, 4-H Youth Development Agent who's joining us from the front row.

Might I say that I am very excited about this segment.

We know that students spend more time outside of the classroom than in.

So the work of family engagement and community education is incredibly important.

Karen, I want to start with you.

Can you tell us about the Carolina Family Engagement Center and how it supports families in South Carolina?

<Utter> Thank you so much, Jada.

The Carolina Family Engagement Center is the statewide family engagement center for South Carolina under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

And we're funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

We're housed in the School Improvement Council offices at the College of Education at the University of South Carolina.

And our mission is really all about supporting families to be active participants and to be engaged in their children's learning and development.

We know that children benefit when their families are actively engaged in their learning and development.

So we want to communicate with families about the kinds of strategies that they can use to have the biggest impact in terms of encouraging their children's academic success.

And they may not be the things that parents may be thinking of.

So in other words, we know that setting high but reasonable expectations for children is one of the most powerful things that parents can do to encourage academic achievement at home.

Another is talking to your children and modeling to your children that you really value education.

Another might be regularly reading with your children, making sure that your children have a literacy rich environment at home.

All of those kinds of things are things that parents can do.

It doesn't require an advanced degree to be able to do those things.

You don't have to be able to teach every subject in order to be able to be a parent who is engaged actively and who is really making an impact on your child's learning and development.

Another piece that we look at is our schools and our administrators and our teachers and staff, because we know that even if we equip our parents to reach out to schools, to partner with schools, to want to engage in shared decision making with schools about their child's learning or about the school in general, sometimes schools aren't necessarily prepared to engage with parents.

They need help and they need training and technical assistance in things like communication in how to let go and be able to feel comfortable in engaging with parents and allowing them into that space so that there can be a constructive conversation and a productive conversation around student learning.

So we really work in the field through our our field liaisons with schools over long term periods of time to really build up sustainability and to build capacity of both parents and schools to be able to build those trusting relationships that really are the heart of all family engagement.

And then lastly, we serve as a hub for connecting both schools and parents with community resources.

So we spend a lot of time learning about what's available just all across the board, not just learning resources, but resources for mental health, for physical health, for nutrition, all of those different kinds of resources in different parts of the state so that we can help connect those community organizations that have those resources with the families and schools that need them.

<Jada> Thank you.

Now, Dr. K, it would be great if you could tell us about voice positioning and why it's important to help families acknowledge, celebrate and promote responsible use of voice for learners.

<Dr.

K Hutchins> Thank you so much, Jada.

I certainly share your excitement for being a part of this segment.

So voice positioning is a framework that we created back in 2016 when we started to recognize that so many young people did not understand the power of their voices.

And so we fast forwarded that work to the pandemic.

And then we started seeing numbers around elevation in bullying, students saying that they had thoughts about hurting themselves.

So we saw a rise in students not feeling equipped to be able to voice what was going on on the inside of them.

So we started with the cohort of girls and we created the Voice Leadership Camp for Girls.

And as a result of the camp, we recognized that students really had a desire to stand in the power of their voice.

So we started to help them understand that research shows that only 7% of our words make up our voice.

The other 93% is how we show up.

It's our visibility, it's our attitude, it's our disposition.

It's our presence.

We talk to the students about being able to walk in a room and the whole room changes because you came in it, and that's the power of your voice.

And so we have been really deeply implementing these things into students and cutting through the myth that students and children should be seen and not heard.

And so we are making sure that they feel seen, heard and valued through the work that we do.

<Jada> Well, I love that.

Levon, we know that families often see athletics as an opportunity to earn scholarships for college and also to build generational wealth.

Can you speak about the importance of participating in athletics during out of school hours?

Also, tell us about the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame's mission to improve academic preparedness for student athletes.

<Kirkland> Sure.

Thank you so much for having me here.

When you think about athletics out of school, you think about three different things.

You think about the physical aspect of it.

You think about the mental aspect of it.

You also think about the life skills that young people get.

We know that being physically active really helps you as far as your body and also your mind.

Being physically active also helps our young athletes really be better, I mean, condition wise, strength wise, coordination as well.

And then also mentally it helps as well, you know, being physically active is going to help you as far as diseases like diabetes, you know, diseases like heart, heart diseases.

So it helps you overall.

And then you dip into the mental aspect of it.

It's also going to help you have a better mindset.

It's going to also help you as far as your sleep pattern, making sure that you're not depressed and also too, what it does, it helps you get along with teammates, sets goals.

So being athletic helps you in those two factors.

And then also you've got to look at you've got to look at life skills as well.

And we know that being in a sport, you've got to be disciplined, you've got to work hard, and that kind of stuff translate into your future life as far as being able to go out and get a job, being out, being able to present yourself in a favorable way.

So at the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame, we found out that here in South Carolina that we were 43rd in career readiness and also college readiness.

I don't know where anybody wants to be the 43rd.

You know, nobody's saying, "Hey, we're 43rd, we're 43rd!"

So we felt like that was a problem that we need to solve.

And we feel like if we if we educate, empower and encourage our student athletes, along with all the programs that are here in South Carolina, we're going to make a better community.

We've got to make a better state.

And most importantly, we're going to make a better person.

<Jada> Well, that's awesome.

Mr. Aaron, you've had the opportunity to work with ETV Education on student workshops for the children you serve in Dillon County.

Can you talk to us about the importance of afterschool programs and what's needed to improve them?

<Aaron> I feel as though afterschool programs are vital to the success of kids not only in education but in life.

They, like someone mentioned earlier, that children spend a lot of time outside of school, but yet some of them don't get the understanding that learning doesn't stop.

So I feel as though with my program, The Village, we've done a great part of not only educating the child but the family itself, letting them know that they are the primary educator.

It's difficult for you to encourage a child to read, and yet when they go home, their parents are, they never see their parents reading.

So I feel as though not only are we there for like homework help and test prep, we're also there socially and emotionally.

When you have a smaller and more intimate setting, kids feel more comfortable to maybe just even give you their everyday stresses of the world.

And as an educator, I feel like basic necessities have to be met before a true learning can begin.

If a child is hungry, if a child has stresses that may be going on with a friend, it could be anything.

But children go through emotions just like adults, and sometimes most of the time they need avenues and resources to help them with not only the educational aspect of school, but the social and emotional aspect of just dealing with everyday life itself, as well as being a student who wants to learn.

We also had ETV to come, which I feel as though is a move in the in the right direction.

Us knowing the resources that we do have out here, also collaborations and networking with one another to understand that we all are a part of the village and everyone has a part to play as being a part of the village.

And that's not only the educators that are in the classroom.

With the village, I have been blessed to bring in people who didn't even realize that they were educators and came and made tremendous impacts on the kids, because the kids also need to see not just teachers teaching.

They need to see everyone in all different walks of their community teaching and showing them that education is important.

It's truly been an honor to be here.

The African proverb, "It Takes a Village" is the reason that we are called "The Village."

It's been shown.

We started with one child I was helping at the library, and now we're up to about 50 kids.

So it shows not only in a rural town of Dillon, the need, but also the importance.

And we have been making kids and education a whole lot brighter in our town.

Thank you.

<Jada> Well, thank you for your work.

And Rosemary, 4-H is an organization that has prioritized youth development, mentorship and education for over 100 years.

Can you talk to us specifically about the importance of mentorship for youth development?

What might you say to encourage those who may be hesitant but have an interest in becoming a mentor?

<Martin-Jones> Well, I'll start with "it takes a village," and it is very important to have mentors who are not your parents because a lot of children don't really want to hear things that their parents have to say.

At a certain point, the parents become not so smart and then after a while we get smart again.

But it's important to have mentors who are subject matter experts in the area that your child is interested in.

And so it's very important for those mentors to be there for the children.

In 4-H, we practice learn by doing, and we encourage the youth to find mentors who are in the area that they're interested in.

If it's agriculture and animals, maybe they go and hang out with the farmer or they go hang out with an AG teacher.

If it's healthy lifestyles, maybe they go hang out with the nutritionist.

If it's STEM, they go hang out with an engineer or a scientist.

So we encourage those mentorships and also leadership as well.

So it's very important to have mentors available for those students or those children who are looking for that enrichment and that village mentality.

<Jada> Thank you.

Thank you all for the work you do to create a stronger and more connected South Carolina.

Now for our last short break and we'll be right back.

♪ And we're back for our last segment.

Amplifying the voices of South Carolinians is the core to ETV's mission.

We would be remiss if we did not extend an opportunity for students to join us, share their thoughts about education and get their peers excited about a successful school year.

Joining us are Jour'nee Whetstone, rising fifth grader, ETV Discovery Day participant and cast of "The Cool and the Strong."

Hope Shealy, rising seventh grader, ETV Discovery Day participant and cast of "The Cool and the Strong."

Riley Glenn, rising junior at Orangeburg Wilkinson High School and the Orangeburg Advanced College.

Jaden Cross, ETV Endowment Intern and student at USC Columbia.

We have an all girls panel, but no worries.

We have a group of boys who will film a special segment that will be available as a web feature.

So, ladies, tell me, what do you enjoy most about your school experience?

<Jour'nee> Want me to go first?

<Jada> Yeah, go ahead.

<Jour'nee> What I enjoy most about my school experience is learning, because it helps me get closer to achieving my dreams.

<Jada> Oh, and I know you have some big dreams.

What about you, Hope?

<Hope> I like my drama class because my teachers always make the games and learning fun and they really encourage creativity.

<Riley> My biggest thing is the friendships and the new relationships that I've built in high school.

Went into high school with one solid friendship, and I am happy to say I have built that to multiple.

<Jada> Love it.

<Jaden> Nice to meet you, Jada.

I think my favorite part about being a student is just meeting all the new people.

I think it's so cool that right now in college, this is the time where people come from all different walks of life and different backgrounds and this is just the one time that you get to meet everyone like that and to see that everyone's going to end up being a different lawyer or doctor and just, it's an amazing experience.

<Jada> Well, those are all great things.

What do you think needs improvement?

<Jour'nee> What I think needs improvement in my school is the food.

(laughter) It's because I'm not used to eating that type of food.

And it's hard for me to work when I'm on an empty stomach.

So when my stomach is, when I eat good food, I feel way better and I feel like I'm a stronger learner.

<Jada> Because you're energized.

You're ready to go, right?

<Jour'nee> Yeah.

What about you, Hope?

<Hope> I think that there are some behavior issues that need to be addressed because I think it's important for everyone to knowledge that when there's bad behavior, it disrupts the learning and it's just really important.

<Riley> I would definitely say the student-staff relationships.

When you go to school and you have that person to go to like, "Hey, Mr. So-and-so, hey Mrs. So-and-so, how are you doing?"

It's like a safe space almost.

It makes your school year, it makes your school days just so much better versus teachers that just are there to teach.

Like that's all that they do.

It's just having that special relationship with somebody at your school just makes it so much better.

<Jaden> Yeah, I agree.

I think that more active engagement in the classroom is needed.

I think a lot of times students just, including me, sometimes, will just go in and just want to listen to the lecture, take notes, and then study for the test and be done.

But I think more active engagement would help us learn better and want to grow into better people.

<Jada> Absolutely.

What are excited about for this upcoming year?

And what might you say to encourage your peers as we prepare for a successful school year?

<Jour'nee> What I'm excited about for this new school year is to see my friends and to learn new things with my friends And what I would say to my peers for the new school year is You can do what you want to do, whatever you put your mind to.

<Jada> Absolutely.

You absolutely can.

You can.

What about you, Hope?

<Hope> I'm excited for a new school with better behavior and new friends.

And a piece of advice that I might say is when you're where you're supposed to be with who you're supposed to be with, then you'll have a successful year.

<Jada> You have all of the knowledge, Hope.

(laughter) What about you, Riley?

<Riley> I was just selected recently for my school sports media team, so I'm very excited for that.

And then also, this is year three of my dual enrollment at O-C Tech.

So I'm nervous, but I'm excited to just get the school year started and some advice that I would give to my peers, class of 2025, rising juniors, I would say we literally went from seventh graders to freshman in high school.

You got through that.

You can get through these last three years.

So just put your mind to it and you'll get it done.

<Jada> Absolutely.

<Jaden> Yes, I'm most looking forward to just the new opportunities.

I'm excited to join new clubs and to meet new professors and get to know them.

And some advice I'd probably say is to just get involved.

I think getting involved in something will help make your college experience just so much better.

<Jada> Absolutely.

And with that, it's time to wrap.

Thank you to our esteemed speakers for their informative and inspiring responses to our questions.

Remember, the success of our schools relies on our collective effort.

Again, together we can make the 2023-2024 school year a great one.

This is Jada Samuel, Miss South Carolina 2023 signing off for ETV.

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