Original Six Foundation

THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION SERVES SC PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGH AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND EARLY LITERACY INITIATIVES.

THE PRIMARY PROGRAM OF THE ORIGINAL SIX (O6) FOUNDATION, O6 AFTERSCHOOL, SERVES STUDENTS IN GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT AND PROVIDES A SAFE PLACE TO LEARN WHILE FILLING EDUCATIONAL GAPS. DURING THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR, O6 AFTERSCHOOL PROVIDED 7,110 HOURS OF HOMEWORK AND AFTERSCHOOL ASSISTANCE TO 711 STUDENTS, AN INCREASE OF 73% IN HOURS OF HOMEWORK AND 89% IN NUMBER OF STUDENTS FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. O6 SERVED IN 11 SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES IN EIGHT DIFFERENT COUNTIES: ALLENDALE, BAMBERG, CLARENDON, COLLETON, FLORENCE, GREENVILLE, MARION, AND UNION. INDIVIDUALIZED HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED BY CERTIFIED TEACHERS WHO NOT ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS BUT HELP THEM DEVELOP THE STRONG STUDY HABITS THAT CARRY THEM THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND. EMPHASIS IS PLACED ON INTERACTIVE LEARNINGPARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART AND MATH (STEAM)AWAKENING CURIOSITY AND IGNITING A NEW LOVE OF LEARNING. AND THE ORIGINAL SIX MAKES IT FUN, INCLUDING TIME FOR TEAM GAMES, SOCIAL INTERACTION AND MORE.STUDENTS IN O6 AFTERSCHOOL MOST OFTEN SHOW SIGNIFICANT ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT AS WELL AS INCREASED SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE. FUNDED BY DONORS WHO SUPPORT THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION, THERE IS NEVER A CHARGE TO ATTEND, AND ALL SERVICES OFFERED ARE FREE. IN ADDITION TO THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS, O6 AFTERSCHOOL OFFERS A SAFE PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO SPEND TIME AFTER THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL DAY IS OVER.

THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION KNOWS THE GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE A CHILD IS TO TEACH HIM OR HER TO READ. READING IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ACADEMIC SKILL. THAT'S WHY MY FIRST LIBRARY IS A VITAL COMPONENT OF THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION'S WORK IN SCHOOLS, SUPPORTING CHILDREN WHOSE FAMILIES OFTEN DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PROPERLY NURTURE A PROFICIENCY IN AND LOVE OF READING. DURING THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR, THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED OVER 32,000 BOOKS TO MORE THAN 3,100 SOUTH CAROLINA KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN 38 PUBLIC SCHOOLS.THROUGH MY FIRST LIBRARY, KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO CHOOSE TEN HIGH-QUALITY, GRADE-LEVEL SUMMER READING BOOKS AT AN END-OF-THE-YEAR BOOK FAIR. THE PROGRAM IS DISTINCT FROM OTHER READING PROGRAMS IN THESE WAYS:STARTING EARLY. MOST SUMMER READING PROGRAMS BEGIN IN THE 1ST GRADE, WHILE MY FIRST LIBRARY STARTS THE SUMMER BEFORE. THIS CREATES A BRIDGE THAT HELPS NEGATE THE "SUMMER SLIDE" WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR AS MUCH AS 85% OF THE READING ACHIEVEMENT GAP BETWEEN LOWER-INCOME STUDENTS AND THEIR MIDDLE AND UPPER-INCOME PEERS.STUDENT'S CHOICE. STUDIES SHOW 92% OF KIDS SAY THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO FINISH A BOOK THEY PICKED OUT THEMSELVES.GREATEST NEED. AS A STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION, THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION IS POSITIONED TO IDENTIFY AND INVEST IN AREAS OF GREATEST NEED. BEST OF ALL, THESE YOUNG READERS GET TO BUILD THEIR OWN AT-HOME LIBRARIES, FILLED WITH BOOKS OF THEIR CHOOSING AND A LOVE OF READING THAT WILL LAST A LIFETIME

THE ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION HELPS FUND ADDITIONAL SOUTH CAROLINA BASED LITERACY INITIATIVES TO INCLUDE RAZZ KIDS, A WEB-BASED, SUBSCRIPTION LITERACY PLATFORM UTILIZED BY FOUR ORIGINAL SIX PARTNER SCHOOLS. UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF SKILLED TEACHERS, THIS PLATFORM ENABLED 1,950 SOUTH CAROLINA STUDENTS TO READ A COMBINED 70,023 BOOKS FOR A TOTAL OF 11,425 HOURS OF READING. ORIGINAL SIX FOUNDATION ALSO HELPED FUND A LITERACY PROGRAM WITHIN THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS CALLED "A FATHER'S VOICE." BORN OUT OF THE RILEY INSTITUTE, 'A FATHER'S VOICE' ALLOWS INMATES WHO ARE ON GOOD BEHAVIOR TO READ A STORY TO THEIR CHILDREN, USING A RECORDABLE BOOK TO SEND TO THEIR CHILDREN TO ENCOURAGE THEM AND HELP KEEP THEM ON TRACK.