Partnership Between United Way Of Kershaw County, Kershaw County School District, And AmeriCorps Of SC
Author: Shanna M Redfearn, Ready Readers Director, United Way of Kershaw County
Published: September, 2023
AmeriCorps Members served 11,675 hours in Kershaw County. Of that, KCSD High School Students served 7,789.25 (67% of hours served). A total of 21 members who served of that 17 successfully completed their terms of service to receive their education grants for further education. 81% completion rate.
Kershaw County School District (KCSD) ELEMENTARY STUDENT DATA
Total Students counted: 447 (not including summer student count). Military Connection 31
Student Break down by school: BES 87, DME 48, WES 40, LES 49, CES 60, PTH 33, JES 62, MES 41, NCE 27
Analysis of Impact
Although the Ready Reader Program did not officially start until mid-September of 2022, our Kershaw County Community has embraced the need for Ready Readers in our schools. We began in September in 3 schools, added 2 more in October, 3 more in November, and the final 2 in January. This successfully reached our goal of having a Ready Reader Program in all 9 of our Kershaw County Elementary Schools. In addition, we recruited high school seniors to serve in our elementary schools as AmeriCorps members. The benefit was multifaceted. Inspiring and educating our future adults about the critical need within our community and sharing about resources to help.
Another group we are reaching through this program are school teachers and administrators. We strive to be a source of support to our school staff. We want them to know we are a partner with them to help accomplish a common goal of lifting lives through the love of literacy, being available as an additional resource to meet the ever-changing needs within our school system.
As a layered impact, we are not only assisting elementary students to reach their literacy goals, we are also impacting life skills of our high school students in AmeriCorps service. Life skills and training happening for high school students enrolled in our AmeriCorps Service Program: Develop Application and Interview Skills, Increase Communication Skills, Documentation Skills, time sheets, tax forms, data collection, and paperwork, Completion of assigned tasks and independent responsibility, Serving within a Team Structure, Time Management, Problem Solving, and overall Decision Making, Greater sense of need in their own communities and the resources available to assist with those needs.
Moving Forward into the 2023-2024 School Year
We plan to start back in all elementary schools the week of September 11, 2023 with community volunteers and AmeriCorps members. We plan to take an intentional approach of focusing on elementary students who are on the “bubble” with their literacy goals. Per data from last year, this is the target area where we are able to make the biggest difference. In addition, we are piloting a 5k program to address exposure deficits seen with alphabet, phonics, and other necessary letter land focused skills. This pilot program is taking place at Camden Elementary and will utilize both volunteers and AmeriCorps members. It is our sincere hope this might be a path for our program to take in the future, as we will be re-applying for funding this service year for the following three years. We hope to be able to address literacy needs earlier and make even more of an impact on our students.
AmeriCorps Member Recruitment Update for 2023-2024
We have currently recruited and are in the process of on-boarding 16 new members. 13 of these members are high school seniors (this number may grow as word continues to spread) from NCHS, LEHS and CHS. We are still recruiting a 900 hours member to be a school liaison for the Elgin schools – this would include a monthly living allowance of around $676 and about 10-12 hours a week of service. Plenty of purpose and lots of flexibility with the bonus of making a difference in our schools.
We look forward to continuing the Ready Readers impact in Kershaw County.