TCL OFFERS FREE TUITION, FEES
Through newly available federal, state and private funding sources, the Technical College of the Lowcountry will cover tuition and fees for those who are eligible for the spring 2022 semester. The deadline to enroll for TCL’s Spring I semester is Jan. 6. Students must be enrolled in at least six credit hours, or about two classes, for the spring semester and complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). For more information, visit tcl.edu.
LOWCOUNTRY TEACHERS AWARDED WITH BRIGHT IDEAS GRANTS
Palmetto Electric Cooperative and Palmetto Electric Trust awarded $40,365 in Bright Ideas grants to 50 teachers in southern Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties. Since the program’s inception, area teachers have received over $640,000 in grants. Beaufort County winners were Bluffton Elementary School & Early Childhood Center, $350, Laura VanHorn; Bluffton Middle School, $240, Deborah Birkett; $1,000, Heidi McAllister; Cross Schools, $795, Lindsay Bowerman; $910, Heather Brougham-Cook; $625, Pam Donahue; $500, Karen Penale; $1,000, Dr. Nancy Ungvarsky; Heritage Academy, $800, David Fuka; $300, Janice Magnin; Hilton Head Christian Academy, $1,000, Amy Inglis; Hilton Head Island High School, $1,000, Tarken Best; $1,000, Matthew Pheiffer; $1,000, Corinne Spisz; $750, Robert Stine; $1,000, John Wyatt; Hilton Head Island IB Elementary School, $470, Jill Fernandez; $400, Terri Foy; $650, Katie Hawkins; $250, John Slaughter; Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts, $990, Jennifer Friend-Kerr; Hilton Head Preparatory School, $1,000, Laura Campbell; $525, Louise Goodman; May River Montessori, $1,000, Sari Kandel; Okatie Elementary School, $800, Amanda Altman; Sea Pines Montessori School, $1,000, Kathy Midkiff; St. Francis Catholic School, $430, Kelley Burke; and St. Gregory the Great Catholic School, $1,000, Christina Cleveland.
For a complete list of winners, visit palmetto.coop.
PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM EARNS NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Parents as Teachers’ National Center named Beaufort County School District as a Blue Ribbon Affiliate, designating it as one of the top performing home-visiting affiliates. BCSD’s PAT program includes home visits, group connections, child screenings, and connecting families to community resources. The district’s program underwent PATNC’s rigorous self-study and review process, demonstrating the accountability and credibility of BCSD’s PAT program to the community, elected officials, and partner organizations.
CYBERSECURITY SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR LOWCOUNTRY STUDENTS
South Coast Cyber Center, in collaboration with the Beaufort Digital Corridor, University of South Carolina Beaufort, Technical College of the Lowcountry, CyberStart America, and the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation, is offering high school students the opportunity to win scholarships for certification and school tuition. Through April 27, students can register and begin the competition. Students must be at least 13 years old and in 9th-12th grades in public, private, charter or home school. CyberStart’s competition allows students to build a portfolio of desirable skills and certifications sought by employers. The registration link is register.cyberstartamerica.org/student.
For more information, email cory@beaufortdigital.com.
SCHOOL DISTRICT LAUNCHES PARENT CONNECTIONS STUDENT SUPPORT INITIATIVE
Parents and guardians of the Beaufort County School District can participate in free, virtual Parent Connections evening workshops aimed at helping them support their students in academic, school, and family-related topics. The goals of Parent Connections are to increase collaboration and engagement between schools, families, and community. Parent Connections will hold two sessions with new topics quarterly. For more information, email parent.connections@beaufort.k12.sc.us.
High school students nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholar honors
The Beaufort County School District selected three high school seniors to compete for prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholar Awards.
Raul Leyva of Hilton Head Island High, Maximus Weitekamper of May River High and Anna Brown of Beaufort High will represent the district as candidates for nominations. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The program has honored more than 7,000 high school seniors based on outstanding scholarship. Nominees chosen to represent the state will receive an expense-paid trip to Washington in June and will be presented with the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.
LOWCOUNTRY SCHOOL HOLDS GROUNDBREAKING
Robert Smalls International Academy School held a groundbreaking for a new school, which marks the beginning of construction on the district’s largest referendum project to be funded through the bond referendum approved by county voters in November 2019. Large-scale construction begins in January with an anticipated completion date of August 2023 for the new school building. Athletic facilities will be completed in January 2024. A total of $62 million in referendum funds was budgeted for the project.
