23A60CP000074

Project Location: Benedict College, 1600 Harden St., Columbia, SC 29204

Project Purpose and Goals: Benedict College's proposed B.E.S.T. Lives Center (BLC) is a state-of-the-art learning facility that caters to military families, former foster care individuals, formerly incarcerated individuals, and adult learners. The mission of the B.E.S.T. Lives Center is to provide innovative and transformative educational opportunities for vulnerable communities that will positively enhance life chances for capable adult learners. Additionally, we will introduce and reintroduce vulnerable South Carolinians to the robust, state-centric, customizable, and connected workforce support system. The BLC will address ongoing concerns regarding educational access, innovation, equity, connectivity, social mobility, workforce development, and employment. This center will manage and track students who enter the college with similar background characteristics and will level the playing field for all students, regardless of the pathway they took into the college. The BLC will address inequities in education, workforce, policy, and practice while remaining true to the mission of the college.

The goals of the B.E.S.T. Lives Center are to:
A. Build the capacity of military, formerly incarcerated, former foster care, and adult learners in the state of South Carolina.
B. Engage students in a supportive environment that promotes personal and professional growth while challenging them to think critically about the world around them.
C. Strategically position our graduates for success by providing necessary support structures that ensure optimal learning, sustain long-term academic, social, and emotional well-being, and industry-appropriate and competitive skills.
D. Transform the lives of highly vulnerable and underrepresented South Carolinians by providing access to innovative educational and training opportunities that will prepare them to achieve full economic self-sufficiency.

Activities to be performed: Foundationally, the B.E.S.T. Lives Center will provide:
- Workforce training and job opportunities
- Educational success services (credentials, certificates, professional degrees, etc.)
- Life skills
- Leadership opportunities
- Internships within field
- Mentoring (professional and personal)
- Crisis support and counseling

Expected outcomes: Military, incarcerated, former foster care, and adult learners will expand their capacity within the state of South Carolina. Students will engage in supportive environments that promote personal and professional growth while being challenged to think critically about the world around them. Students will be positioned for graduation and success by the necessary support structures that ensure optimal learning, long-term academic, social, and emotional well-being, and industry-appropriate and competitive skills. Upon graduation, students will have access to innovative educational and training opportunities that will prepare them to achieve full economic self-sufficiency.

Intended beneficiaries:
- Military students and families
- Young adults aging out of foster care
- Currently and formerly incarcerated individuals
- Adult learners

Subrecipient activities: N/A

Benedict College

17.289 - Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending

Employment and Training Administration (ETA) [DOL]

Columbia, South Carolina 29204-1058 United States

Single Zip Code

Community Projects ETA/Congressionally Directed Spending Grants (TEGL-03-22)