South Carolina has a variety of largely interrelated health, social and educational problems which have tended to defy easy solution. Young adults experience the most consequences of limited education, because they are not yet established in the workforce and depend on their educational and degrees as credentials

In rural areas of South Carolina where poverty prevails, there is a high level of undereducated and underemployed individuals. Resources must be directed towards rural / low income individuals who lack basic skills to advance in employment or pursue secondary educational opportunities.

The Institute on Poverty and Deprivation data shows that 60% of public school graduates in the state entered college as freshmen; those freshmen constituted half of all persons in their age group. Therefore, there are 40% of high school graduates who are not attending college. In addition, the majority of these individuals live in the Second and Sixth Congressional Districts. These two districts are mostly rural and have high poverty rates.

The Institute has studied and focused its attention on organizing the appropriate services and working collaboratively to assist those individuals in need by developing a three year plan with the following outcomes:

1. Focus group will develop a plan that will:

• Identify barriers that could impact participant's completion of post-secondary education

• Identify what percentage of the 40% that do not attend college would be interested in attending college

• Identify possible business expansion in special rural areas

• Use labor market information to determine appropriate technical training or four-year completion study

• Identify additional partners for future collaboration 

• The Institute will produce collaboration letters that will identify other resources and leverage funds

2. The Institute will implement a plan developed from the first year program by:

• Assessing literacy level of possible participants

• Identify participants readiness to enter technical college or a four-year institution

• Strengthen partnerships with adult education programs to deliver basic skills training

• Identify local one-stop-shop and services that participants can obtain information on jobs after graduation

3. Track students that attend post-secondary training and receive employment.

Center for Poverty Research and Policy Analysis

In the last century, two federally-funded initiatives, The New Deal and the War on Poverty, have provided programs for the poor. However, poverty persists because these programs addressed the needs of the poor and not the the systems that keep them poor.

South Carolina continues to linger at the bottom of national rankings in measures of well-being of children and families as illustrated by these alarming facts:

• SC ranks 36th in the nation in the percentage of children living in poverty (SC Kids Count)
   

• Families headed by a parent without a high school diploma are in a downward spiral. In 1989 their income was $30,077; in 1995, $24,000; and in 1998, $20,900. In 2002 the poverty level for a family of was $15,020. (Federal Reserve, SC Institute on Poverty, SC Kids Count)
   

• There are 560,000 people living at or below the poverty level in SC. Poverty is found throughout the state and ranges from a low of 9.1% in Lexington to a high of 34.4% in Allendale County. Rates are higher for women, especially among African-Americans (SC Institute on Poverty)
   

• Poverty rates vary substantially according to marital status. In 1999, 44.5% of all young women ages 18-29 who gave birth were unmarried, of which 22.2% were white and 72.9% were African-Americans (SC Kids Count)

For South Carolina to interrupt the cycle of poverty, the state must take the necessary steps to ensure that every South Carolinian has the opportunity to learn and to grow into a healthy, productive citizen. The economic wellbeing of the state and the next generation is dependent upon this action. South Carolina cannot grow and prosper and its citizens cannot fully realize their full potential without and educated, healthy workforce. Failure to complete at least high school is closely related to such problems as illiteracy, low income, unemployment, teen pregnancy, crime and other difficulties. Research evidence indicates that causality runs both ways; i.e., growing up in poverty tends to result in low educational achievement, while low educational skills increase the likelihood of poverty (SC Kids Count).

Homeless Children and Education

The Institute will develop and administer a survey to collect data on the number of homeless children in South Carolina and to identify barriers impacting the education of these children.