Power:Ed supports student coach for SCC

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Power:Ed presented the Spartanburg Community College Foundation with a $39,375 award to support the establishment of a success coach for students pursuing their pre-health associate degree. 

Power:Ed is an organization working to make transformative impacts on the lives and career opportunities for South Carolina’s students, according to a news release.

"We are thrilled to be able to add success coaches as a part of our support framework at SCC," Witney Fisher, dean of student success at SCC, said in the news release. "These dedicated individuals will work directly with our students to better understand their immediate needs and challenges and seamlessly connect them to resources to aid in their academic success. Having a support network is critical for students and SCC believes this program will make an impact on our ability to retain students at SCC."

The project will pilot Success Coaching at SCC and focus on the pre-health program because of its large student population and the demanding course load.

“Partnerships are critical to the mission of the SCC Foundation,” John Jaraczewski, executive director of the SCC Foundation, said in the release. “Together with Power:Ed, we are pleased to be working toward sustaining high levels of student success at SCC.”

Success Coaches proactively reach out to students, meet with students one-on-one to assess their barriers to program completion, and connect students with services that help them to overcome their unique barriers such as tutoring, financial aid, academic advising, emergency funds, food pantries and other institutional and community services.

“Power:Ed is dedicated to funding programs supporting South Carolina’s underserved and first-generation students, improving access to college and degree completion, and helping create a pipeline of skilled talent for S.C. employers," Claire Gibbons, director of Power:Ed, said in the release. “We are excited by the potential this pilot program offers to help at-risk students complete their education and improve their economic opportunities.”

Success Coaching is a nationally proven best practice strategy to increase higher education retention and completion rates, the release said.

In the first quarter of this fiscal year, Power:Ed has awarded six grants totaling nearly $219,000, including this one, to state education and career readiness nonprofits. Grants are administered quarterly and the deadline for the next round of grant funding is Oct. 1.