HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Parents who live in rural parts of Horry County, like Green Sea and Loris, currently do not have permanent after-school educational options for their children.
That’s led one Horry County school official to start a new program that directly targets kids in these areas.
She told News13 kids in these rural areas don’t have as many educational opportunities as kids who live in more urban areas of the county.
She said bettering their education will better these communities as a whole.
FFAST, or Finklea Family After School Team, will provide K through 12 students with homework assistance, career exploration, and character development five days a week.
“The rural areas they matter, and these kids matter,” said FFAST director Etta Greene Carter. “These kids need a place to go that’s safe.”
Carter said high poverty levels in Loris and Green Sea can negatively affect children for years.
“The graduation rates in these areas are affected by them being in a rural setting,” she said. “Just for the simple lack of access in extracurricular things to do outside of sports within the schools.”
But the program is not just for kids; it encourages “intergenerational learning.” For example, Carter said kids will teach their parents computer skills.
“The children are giving back to adults, they’re forming lasting bonds,” she said. “And really building the community where everybody helps each other.”
A twenty-thousand dollar grant funds the youth part of the program, but Carter said they will need donations and volunteers to keep it running.
FFAST classes start September 11 at the Finklea Community Center in Loris.
Carter said any Horry County student can enroll in the program, but transportation will only be provided to kids in the Green Sea zoning district.
There will be a back-to-school kickoff event where parents can register their children and also receive free schools supplies Saturday, August 19 from 11:00 to 2:00.
