NEWBERRY COUNTY — The Riley Institute at Furman University has selected Kristina Cannon to participate in South Carolina Afterschool Leaders Empowered (SCALE), an initiative that equips afterschool and summer learning leaders in the state with tools to grow and improve their programs.
The initiative is offered in partnership with and funded by a $1.3 million grant from the South Carolina Department of Education as part of the monies the agency received from the American Rescue Plan to address the academic impact of COVID-19, particularly among youth in need of additional supports to complete unfinished learning.
Cannon is one of 21 afterschool leaders to be selected for the program’s second cohort. Cannon has been in the educational field for 13 years. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English from The University of South Carolina in 2009, Master’s Degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University in 2013, and Master’s Degree in educational leadership from Lamar University in 2020. She spent 11 years teaching English, 10 of those in Newberry County between Newberry and Mid-Carolina High Schools. She most recently served as curriculum coordinator at Newberry Middle School for the last two years and currently serves as interim assistant principal and director of the 21st Century After-School program.
Selected participants represent nearly a third of the state’s school districts, a variety of organizations, and a mix of rural, suburban, and urban areas.
Taking place over the course of 10 months, SCALE offers a curriculum that addresses best practices on topics such as school-community partnership development, program sustainability, arts integration and youth mental health. The program is led by national and local afterschool and summer learning leaders. In addition to convening on Furman’s campus for a week-long learning experience and participating in monthly webinars, members of the cohort will take a field trip to a nationally-acclaimed summer learning program outside of the state and work on a capstone project related to afterschool or summer learning in their home communities.
High-quality afterschool and summer learning programs have been shown to improve student achievement, life skills, and mental health, all while helping working families keep kids safe. For more than a decade, the Riley Institute has conducted work in the afterschool field at the national level.
“Afterschool and summer learning programs fill critical needs in our communities, providing a supportive environment for children as they learn and grow,” said Amy Keely, SCALE director. “Our first SCALE fellows have grown tremendously as leaders, and we’re proud that our second cohort will build upon their work of ensuring quality, impactful afterschool programming across the state.”
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