Compass Collegiate Academy
An early stage, diverse-by-design, public charter school that will grow from 100 to 500 students over the next decade, CCA is part of a constellation of innovative schools (traditional public, public charter, private, public schools of innovation) that are taking action to create more educational opportunities in the North Charleston area. This investment highlights the additional capital needed from the community to support innovative school models for all students and helps tackle the real obstacles that education entrepreneurs face when launching new campuses across the state. SCCF's family of philanthropic investors have provided over $225,000 to this campus to-date, and the school is now in the midst of a $2M capital campaign to support its growth over the next decade.
Communities In Schools of South Carolina
Communities In Schools of South Carolina (CISSC) has served students across the state for more than 35 years. They bring community resources inside public schools, where they are accessible, coordinated, and accountable. Through their evidence-based model of Integrated Student Supports, school-based site coordinators assess each studentās unique needs and connect them to existing community resources so they can overcome barriers and focus on learning. From meeting immediate needs like food or clothing to more complex needs like counseling or social emotional support, CISSC works with students, caregivers, teachers, school administration, and community organizations to connect students to the supports, services, and resources they need to thrive. This investment will help strengthen its impact in communities like Fairfield County in the Midlands.
Legacy Early College
The largest K-12 public charter organization in Greenville, South Carolina will grow to serve over 2,500 students in the next five years. The organization has a track record of preparing and supporting African-American and Latino students to-and through college, often earning an associate's degree while in high school. Last year, the organization added a Pre-K center, which now makes them a four campus, PreK-12 organization serving over 1,500 scholars across Greenville. The organization is now building infrastructure needed to support upcoming rapid growth.
The Education Lab @ The Post and Courier
Created three years ago to shine a brighter spotlight on the state's education system, The Education Lab is now one of the leading solutions-journalism outfits covering education reform in the country. It serves as both a watchdog and flashlight on some of the most important issues facing the sector. When it launched in 2021, the newspaper announced "we believe there is power in partnering with corporations, nonprofits, and philanthropic foundations to engage our readers" and that "our news organization is uniquely positioned to report on education reform in a comprehensive and compelling manner, serving readers throughout the state and focusing on concrete solutions." In 2023, The Lab named five focus areas for the year: accountability of funds, accountability of leadership, access to preschool, actionable data that's accessible to the public, and the teaching profession. Today, SCCF is one of several community partners investing in the importance of an independent fourth estate focused on securing "equal access to a quality education for every child."
ExcelinEd
This specific investment will support ExcelinEd's ongoing work in South Carolina to transform education and equip all children for success. Focused within and outside of the traditional education system, ExcelinEd brings deep policy expertise to support state leaders throughout the Southeast region with customized policy solutions that close learning gaps, strengthen pathways and empower families with opportunity. ExcelinEdās work has been instrumental in supporting rising academic achievement in Florida, Mississippi and Indiana among other states. Their work includes state policy development and implementation in early literacy, math, school accountability, student-centered funding, college and career pathways, teacher retention and recruitment, and school choice programs.
GripTape
An emerging national leader in youth-driven learning, this organization has provided āLearning Challengeā opportunities (learning interests, decision making, mentorship, funding, and for ten weeks) to over 3,500 teenagers nationwide. Unlike many other innovators in the education sector, GripTapeās approach is backed by empirical evidence through a partnership with Cornell University, showing youth improvements in areas critical to development and well-being, including environmental mastery, sense of purpose, autonomy, self acceptance, and many more. GripTape provides proof-of-concept for additional work in learning redesign, youth entrepreneurship, and student empowerment. South Carolina will become one of its focus regions.
Liberty STEAM
Established in 2020, Liberty STEAM Charter (LSC) is the first ever public charter school in Sumter County. LSC empowers scholars to become leaders in their communities through their STEAM-focused, project-based, and personalized learning model. Its model is designed to ensure that scholars graduate high school with real-world skills and habits to succeed in industry careers that offer meaningful salaries. This investment, in partnership with other local and national supporters, will catalyze LSCās expansion plan to grow from 750 to 4,000 scholars across The Midlands & Pee Dee regions. LSC is currently enrolling students in kindergarten thru fifth grade and will initially grow vertically in Sumter County to serve students K-12 across the region.
Sea Islands Heritage Academy
Sea Islands Heritage Academy is a relatively new school in the early phase of being established in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Catalyzed by support from the Coastal Community Foundation and the stateās Charter School Program grants, the school offers a place-based, co-constructed education model that prepares its scholars to self-actualize and to pursue and succeed in the future of their choice. The schoolās founder is a Building Excellent Schools Fellow, one of the most prestigious fellowships for school founders in America. This investment will support Sea Islandās early efforts to build awareness of its existence and innovative model and to help recruit students and families enroll from across Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Cristo Rey-Charleston High School
The national Cristo Rey Network of independent high schools delivers a career focused, college preparatory education in the Catholic tradition for students with limited economic resources. Cristo Rey-Charleston will be its 34th location across the United States. The model uniquely integrates rigorous academic curricula with four years of professional work experience and support to and through college. This investment is part of a broader collection of community investments, and a catalyst for further government action to provide working-class families with flexible educational opportunities, that will help launch the soon-to-open high school in North Charleston.
Empower Schools (In Partnership W/ Berkeley County School District)
Empower Schools has partnered with districts, communities, and local organizations to co-create dozens of public schools of innovation across America. Its work fuels a broader movement in which educators and policymakers reimagine systems of schools to enable sustainable change through meaningful innovation and continuous improvement. Since 2013, their work has impacted over 1.5 million students nationwide through collective action, with a focus on schools/systems in the greatest need of innovation. This investment will support the ongoing partnership between Empower Schools and Berkeley County School District in the launch/re-launch of new campuses.