Waverly After School Program was started in 2003 by a motivated group of Honors College students who learned of
a local need for after school tutors during a Martin Luther King Day of Service. Since
then, Waverly has become an Honors student organization and has been awarded a lifetime
grant of $10,000 by State Farm Insurance. Their mission is to enhance the lives and
opportunities of children in the Columbia community, to serve as educational role
models who provide a fun, safe and caring experience and to develop the self-esteem
and literacy skills of all children who participate. Waverly members believe that
all children need a safe place to go after school each day with caring, responsible
adults and programs that encourage both learning and personal growth. Waverly After
School Programs has four core functions: 1) To provide educational enrichment 2) To
promote continued educational excellence 3) To provide youth with positive role models,
and 4) To develop student volunteers into leaders.
Email the Waverly After School Program
Project VIDA is an Honors student organization at the University of South Carolina that welcomes
students from a variety of backgrounds. Members of Project VIDA create presentations
about healthy living for elementary, middle and high school populations in underprivileged
communities. It started through an Honors College initiative (Drop Everything And
Lead) and has been supported by the Bernard and Arline Ramsdale Endowment Fund. Since
its creation in fall 2010, Project Vida has been committed to educating youth in the
Columbia community about healthy living. Volunteers in Project Vida have learned to
seamlessly translate their academic passions into interactive and fun presentations
for the young people they work with. This organization has given students the opportunity
to use their classroom experiences to impact the lives of community members, while
receiving personal, professional and civic growth. One Project Vida member stated,
"Even though we are the ones providing the information on health, I never fail to
learn new things with each presentation."
Email Project VIDA