Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. It is essential to getting and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits, and it is fundamental to a community’s economic prosperity: a well-educated workforce attracts world-class jobs.

United Way of Pickens County seeks to help children and youth achieve their potential through education and has established a bold goal that 70% of 3rd graders will be reading on grade level by 2028.

Your gift to support United Way's educational initiatives ensures that:

• Children begin school ready to learn.
• Young children achieve their academic potential.
• Parents and guardians are focused on their child's academic success and are engaged in their child’s intellectual, emotional and social growth.

CAMP iROCK

United Way of Pickens County has partnered with the School District of Pickens County, the Pickens County YMCA, and the Call Me MiSTER Program to address summer learning loss through Camp iRock. Camp iRock is a summer program for struggling readers in rising Kindergarten - 4th grades with a proven success record. Learn more.

PRESCHOOL PAGES

Women United's signature program, Preschool Pages, is a partnership with local elementary schools to support the development of early literacy skills in preschoolers in the community. Young children and their caregivers participate in story time and related crafts and activities which helps these young learners develop important early literacy skills while learning that school is a safe and nurturing place. You can support children by donating books or funds for books, ensuring that each child can take a book home from the program to build their home library. Learn more.

READING BUDDIES

In partnership with the School District of Pickens County, United Way Reading Buddy volunteers provide extra support to students who need it, both during Camp iRock and throughout the school year. Reading Buddy volunteers spend time with students on a regular basis to help them improve their literacy skills and inspire a love of reading and books. Reading Buddies provide encouragement as a child succeeds, and model through their own actions that reading is fun! Learn more.

BORN LEARNING

United Way of Pickens County has joined the United Ways of the Upstate Born Learning partnership with other Upstate United Ways, in order to collaborate on increasing public awareness about the importance of early childhood development in the Upstate.  The collaboration will provide resources for parents and caregivers and generate awareness among the public and public policy leaders. Learn more.

LANTERN

Lantern is a free subscription based texting service, in partnership with Pickens County First Steps, which promotes the learning, development and health of children prenatal through eight years old. Lantern provides two to four text messages per week on topics such as brain development, games and activities, health and wellness, STEM, safety, and more. Parents and caregivers with children under 8 can text the word SCKIDS to 27448 to sign up. Learn more.

2025-2026 COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT AWARDS

The volunteer driven Education Impact Council received and reviewed grant requests from the community to fund high quality programs that further United Way's mission to improve 3rd grade reading. The following programs were approved for 2025-2026.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE CRESCENT REGION: PROJECT LEARN- READY TO READ

This program being piloted at Six Mile Elementary helps struggling readers in Pickens County gain the skills they need to read on grade level. Through after-school and summer programming, students receive daily small-group instruction from certified teachers, AI-powered tutoring with the ABii robot, and engaging activities like library trips and literacy challenges. Parents are also involved through workshops and take-home literacy kits. The goal is to prevent learning loss, accelerate reading growth, and close achievement gaps so children can become confident readers.

CROSSWELL ELEMENTARY: READ AND RISE IN PARTNERSHIP

Crosswell Elementary’s program focuses on early intervention for first graders and their families to close literacy gaps before third grade. Monthly workshops equip parents with research-based reading strategies—such as phonics, decoding, and fluency—that align with what students are learning in school. Bilingual resources and support ensure families from multilingual backgrounds are included. Parents and students participate together in hands-on activities, building both skills and stronger school-family partnerships. The program strengthens early literacy foundations and fosters a love of reading. 

FOREST ACRES ELEMENTARY: AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING

Forest Acres is tackling reading struggles by offering small-group tutoring twice a week for 3rd graders performing below grade level. Tutors from Clemson University, Anderson University, and Southern Wesleyan University work with groups of 4–5 students, focusing on phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. The program runs from October through March, giving students consistent, personalized support that helps them catch up in reading and improve their confidence. Progress is tracked regularly to ensure students grow toward grade-level proficiency.

PICKENS COUNTY FIRST STEPS: REACH OUT AND READ

Reach Out and Read works through pediatric care, helping families build early literacy habits from birth to age 5. At every well-child visit, doctors provide families with an age-appropriate book, model reading techniques, and encourage parents to read aloud daily. This program supports brain development, strong parent-child bonds, and early kindergarten readiness—all critical for later success in reading. In Pickens County, the program will reach about 1,750 children each year, ensuring more families have the tools and resources for early literacy at home.

PICKENS COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM: ACTIVE READING WORKSHOPS FOR CAREGIVERS

The library’s Active Reading Workshop teaches parents how to read with their children, not just to them. Using the ABCs of Active Reading—Ask questions, Build vocabulary, and Connect to their world—caregivers learn practical strategies to strengthen comprehension and vocabulary. Families also receive free books to take home, along with resources to keep practicing. Workshops are held monthly in person and every other month virtually, serving up to 150 households each year. By empowering parents, the program ensures more children develop the comprehension skills needed for success by third grade.