KIAWAH CARES ABOUT EDUCATION
What If We Can Make a Change?
What if more Sea Island children could discover
a love of reading? What if someone could guide
students through their most challenging academic and
emotional times? What if teachers didn’t have spend
their own salaries on essential classroom supplies?
What if we could make these things happen?
Kiawah Cares has been working within our schools,
meeting with principals, teachers, students and
parents to find solutions to strengthen our educational
programs and provide better support to our students
and teachers. Needs for the 2019-2020 school
year exceed $400,000, and we are asking for your
generosity to meet our goal of $225,000.
Almost half of our local students attend schools
outside of our district to get a better education, but
our students deserve quality educational opportunities
here within the Sea Islands. There are valid solutions
and strategic plans in place; they simply need the
financial fuel to start turning the tide. Together, we
can turn the what-ifs into concrete actions.
What could happen if funding needs are met?
Professional in-school student support specialists could
be placed in all five schools through Communities
In Schools to guide at-risk students to set behavior,
attendance, and academic improvement goals, as well
as connect them with resources ranging from mentors
and counseling to basic need fulfillment. Some kids
have adult-sized barriers and comprehensive support
can provide them with what they need to succeed.
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math) program, which provides a hands-on
curriculum to engage students in all grades, could
launch at Mt. Zion and would be a giant leap in
providing quality education. (Learn more about STEM
at the Mt. Zion STEM Festival.)
Preschoolers could start learning to read with Begin
with Books and more elementary school students
could increase proficiency with Reading Partners.
4 | KIAWAH ISLAND DIGEST
More students could participate in educational
summer programs, including Angel Oak Elementary’s
Summer Reading and Math initiative so they don’t slip
behind.
All elementary students in the district could learn how
to code if Yo Art is able to launch their basic coding
class in all three District 9 schools.
Schools would gain music programming through
Charleston Jazz and students could practice their
creative passions through Soulfully Creative Kids.
Teachers wouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for
essential classroom supplies.
Visit kiawahcares/education for all the information
about this Kiawah Cares fundraising effort.
STEM Festival | Saturday, June 1 | 10 a.m.
Mt. Zion Elementary School | 3464 River Road
To show the community, students and teachers how
fun and effective STEM learning can be, the school
is hosting a STEM Festival. This fair is loaded with
action. Kids will get to enjoy three different STEM-
related activities like a laser maze, coding challenge,
and a robot challenge. Several students will present
results of recently completed STEM experiments and
prizes will be awarded.