Tuesday, February 09, 2010

“Opening Doors to Success Day” A Huge Success

Photo Album
Greenville, SC – Eighteen students responded to Saturday’s “Opening Doors to Success Day,” a community-wide initiative to improve high school success and increase the graduation rate.

Saturday’s event involved teachers, counselors, administrators, school board members, elected officials, business people and others who walked in teams through neighborhoods in the Greenville and Berea High attendance areas.

The teams visited homes of students who had not returned to school, asking them to come back. Eleven Berea High students and seven Greenville High students expressed interest in re-enrolling in school.

Greenville County Schools Superintendent Dr. Phinnize Fisher and School Board members Tommie Reece (Chairman), Dr. Keith Ray (Vice Chairman), Megan Hickerson (Secretary), Dan Moravec, and Lynda Leventis-Wells participated in the event. South Carolina Superintendent of Education Dr. Jim Rex participated at Berea High. Also, State Senator Jim Ritchie, and School GCS Assistant Superintendents Penny Rogers, Dr. Ken Peake, and Leroy Hamilton participated.

Board Chairman Tommie Reece commended the volunteers, stating, “Our children need to know the importance of having someone reach out to them. Every student needs someone to connect with. Maybe you can be that person today.”

Dr. Fisher expressed her appreciation for the volunteers who showed that they want to make a difference in the community. “We have people – corporate partners, parents, senior citizens, who are embracing us because we cannot do this alone,” she said. “I appreciate knowing that you’re always there to lend a hand and provide support for our schools.”

Judy Snyder, the director of Graduate Greenville, was extremely impressed with the impact on the volunteers.

“One of the greatest benefits was with our volunteers,” she said. “They made connections with each other. They learned about the living conditions of many of our students, and came back not only with students, but with amazing stories they shared with their peers.”

Snyder feels that the impact on the community as a whole will change attitudes about school. “Parents have been amazed that strangers actually care about their child,” she said.

School personnel will use information about students who were not reached in Saturday’s efforts to follow up and attempt to re-enroll additional students this week.

The event was organized by Graduate Greenville, a partnership between Greenville County Schools, the United Way of Greenville County, and the Alliance for Quality Education.

# # #