Poverty contributes to academic failure because poorer families cannot afford educational resources or participate in schools and community activities. Poor rural families are often isolated and cannot easily access services that are available in metropolitan areas. Families headed by single parents are more inclined to be poor and South Carolina ranks 5th highest nationally in this category. The target areas contain the poorest of poor in the state and are considered one of the most impoverished in the nation. Lack of after school and other educational programs within the target area for graduating students, drop-outs, teenage parents, young adults and others contribute to academic failure. Many employers search outside the region for workers. Local business leaders believe that many students do not have the necessary skills or ability to apply for and maintain good jobs.
The purpose of Precepts Outreach is to increase the employability of the unemployed residents of Dorchester, Charleston, and Berkeley counties. The program is designed to provide academic skills, increase the reading comprehension and math skills, and job seeking skills that will enable participants to pass to the next grade level and to get and keep a job.
We started out with programs teaching computer literacy to disadvantaged and lower socio economic individuals, as well as providing free income tax preparation and tax assistance to low income taxpayers. We expanded the scope of the program to include the “Bridges” program which incorporates a focus on literacy to increase reading comprehension and math skills of the disadvantaged in the target areas.
Additionally, we have added a component focusing on health and healthcare to assist veterans and seniors with physical impairments with fitness classes and medical devices that can assist with pain relief in the lower extremities and improve mobility.