Adult Ed receives $7K from Dollar General foundation

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The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded Clarendon County Adult Education a $7,000 grant to further the agency's support of adult literacy and the career pathways initiative.

The local grant award, made in late May, is part of more than $7.5 million in grants awarded to nearly 900 schools, non-profits and organizations across the 44 states in which Dollar General operates.

"We are very excited to partner with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation again to engage our students at Adult Education and the community of Clarendon County," said Adult Education Executive Director Lisa Justice. "If you ever wonder about that extra $1 or $2 they ask you about at check out, well, it stays here locally."

Justice said the funds will be used to provide instruction for students working toward a high school or career-readiness credential.

"During our 2016-17 school year, we began implementation of new federal legislation, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which requires adult education to provide both academic and career guidance for our students," she said. "With these funds, we will continue our partnerships with local agencies and service providers to identify goals and career pathways for enrollees in our program."

Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said he is "excited to provide these organizations with funding to support literacy and education throughout the 44 states we serve.

"Providing these grants and supporting the communities we call home reflects our mission of serving others, and it's rewarding to see the impact these funds have," Vasos said.

The foundation was founded in 1993 and has awarded more than $135 million in grants to non-profit organizations like Clarendon County Adult Education. Ultimately, the funds have helped more than 8.6 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education, Vasos said.

Adult Education celebrated the graduation of 38 students from its three sites in Clarendon County in May. The program will operate with a full schedule of day and evening classes starting Aug. 22, continuing to offer WorkKeys testing 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays throughout the summer at the F.E. DuBose Career Center.

"We are happy that we can work with the folks at Dollar General to make a difference in the future of our community," said Justice.

For more information, call (803) 473-2531.