Three Richland One High Performance Partnerships recognized by S.C. Chamber of Commerce

The S.C. State Chamber of Commerce recognized three Richland One High Performance Partnerships as winners at the High Performance Partnership Celebration on March 18 at the Capital City Club.

Bradley Elementary and Image Point (formerly Plasti Line) partnership was selected as the Small Business High Performance Partnership of the Year.

SCE&G’s Homework Centers were selected as the Large Business Partnership of the Year. Centers are located at Hyatt Park and S. Kilbourne Road Elementary Schools.

"These partnerships are a great example of what can happen when a business and a school get together and work in an organized and strategic way for the sole purpose of improving academic achievement," said Edwina Carns, director of High Performance Partnerships. "In addition, the businesses receive support and assistance from the schools so it’s a win-win situation for both."

Each partnership develops goals and activities based on the needs of the students and the resources of the business. Examples include tutoring programs, after school programs, incentive programs, career awareness, and parental involvement programs.

Partnership planning teams made up of employees from the business and school submitted applications for the award. The selection committee reviewed applications and gave awards based on criteria that showed a strong emphasis in the areas of improved student academic achievement, a high level of communication and coordination between school and business, and promotion of the partnership in the community.

"I commend these partnerships for the work they are doing in providing a variety of community and business resources and programs to schools in order to make gains in improving students' academic achievement and to expose students to what knowledge and skills are needed to enter South Carolina’s workforce," said S. Hunter Howard Jr., president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

High Performance Partnerships (HPP) was established in 1999 as the business-school component of a five-year, $1.8 million federal GEAR UP grant (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.) The focus is to establish and maintain 120 formalized partnerships statewide between businesses and high need schools. These partnerships share resources and wisdom of the business community in an effort to increase student academic achievement. Currently there are 114 businesses partnering with 83 schools.

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce is the state’s largest statewide broad-based business and industry trade association representing more than 2,200 members. It works actively to maintain the state’s positive business climate while working to enhance the quality of life for all South Carolinians.