But maybe there is an area where we have not focused, which might make a huge difference and at the same time, help address those other solutions mentioned above. There is an interesting pilot program underway in Clarendon School District One (Summerton) that holds promise for the future. The program is called, "Education Friendly Communities (EFC)." Facilitated by the Clemson University Institute for Economic and Community Development, a core group of citizens in this district have come together to promote a stronger community-wide commitment to the educational process there. This group represents the demographic makeup of the community. Most do not currently have children in school. The ultimate goal is to produce more competitive graduates from both the public and private schools; graduates that have the skills to hold down new jobs on the horizon in Clarendon County and the immediate surrounding area.

Large acreage has been acquired by Dubai within a few miles of Summerton for a major distribution center incorporating the nearby port of Charleston and the network of interstate highways (I-95 and I-26). Also, a developer has purchased several thousand acres on Lake Moultrie with a Summerton address for a planned development community. These two promise to create new jobs for the community - jobs that will require more stringent qualifications and educational achievement. These developments are put in sharper focus by the closing of two other local industries tied to what might be termed the "old economy" of automobiles and manufacturing.

The currently stalled worldwide economy may slow down these promising developments, but eventually because of the presence of the interstate highways and their proximity to Charleston and Columbia and the lake; they or similar projects will come about and the area needs to be ready in order to benefit fully from those investments.

Therefore, the quality of education in Clarendon District One becomes the critical factor in that area's long term economic health. This will be the second time education in Clarendon District One has been on the front burner. The first was when citizens in the district initiated the challenge to the "separate but equal" school doctrine that kept the South Carolina schools segregated in the early 50's. The challenge mounted by a handful of Summerton citizens led directly to the "Brown vs. the Board of Education" Supreme Court decision in 1954 that ordered desegregation of all public schools in the nation.

It is interesting to note that that the Clarendon District One schools are still virtually segregated fifty-five years after that momentous and historic decision.
The other thing to know is that this district has many positive things going for it. They are one of the few districts in S. C. that has built an early childhood development center; the superintendent is an aggressive innovator; lap top computers are provided to high school students; and several new programs have been initiated at the high school such as computer repair and working with fiber optics. Test scores are improving.

Despite these innovations, however, the community exhibits the problems of many rural school districts - crime, poverty, drugs, lack of parental involvement and community indifference.

Two years ago the Education Friendly group, realizing that the schools reflect the community, began to meet around the mission of support and advocacy for the local schools and to promote life-long learning. The group reviewed reports of other similar efforts around the country including the Hidalgo, Texas school district where despite the fact that 97% of the students come from poverty households, the school routinely wins state and national recognition for its achievements.

Over that time trust has been built within the EFC group as they have wrestled with addressing this challenge. Listening sessions have been held with community members and students from both high schools. EFC participants have identified neighborhood leaders and visited them in their homes to solicit support and participation. Gaining the trust of the community at large, however, has proven to be elusive given the history of the area and the limitations of a purely volunteer effort. The EFC group realized early on that if the community was going to be involved in a meaningful way in the educational process, it must involve people from all demographics. Trust was going to be a big factor and that the political underpinnings of the area would have to be on board, if not active with the effort.

Recently, a decision was made to work through the youth of the community; in large part due to their insightful responses at the listening sessions. Interestingly enough, when 10 students from the public school and 10 from the private school came together, only two of the kids actually knew each other. This group listed as one of the weaknesses of the community the lack of communication between the two groups.

As the decision to work through the youth was being reached, the Riley Institute, a program at Furman University that focuses on leadership and diversity became involved at the behest of the superintendent and another Institute participant from Summerton. The Institute curriculum called for small groups of participants to implement a project around the theme of diversity. One group chose the Education Friendly Community program in Summerton in which to embed its project.

City Year Columbia, a program of AmeriCorps, also became involved in facilitating the planning and training meetings held by the students. City Year is composed of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 who give a year of their time to improving the community.

The project, building on the EFC desire to involve the youth brought together 10 students from Scott's Branch High School, the public school and 10 from Clarendon Hall, the private school, to conceive and implement a community service project and to use that effort as the foundation for an ongoing youth effort to unify Summerton, promote the importance of education and bring about

unity in addressing this critical issue.

That project, the refurbishing of a playground and the distribution of food packages to the needy, took place on November 19,2009 in a very limited period of time, but hopefully the groundwork was laid for a transformational effort resulting in the unification of a community focused on its future instead of its past.

Stay tuned.