Beyond Your Front Door

Team Members: DJ Hampton, Robin Hargett, Courtenay Lewandowski, Corey McClary, Malika Prior, Marcela Rabens, Chito Walker, Conrad Williams

The South Carolina Lowcountry possesses a unique cultural, historical, and natural environment. Opportunities to explore these assets are numerous as are the connections with educational and career pathways.

Social isolation can have negative effects on child health and this risk has been heightened by the COVID pandemic. Children from marginalized backgrounds often experience greater social isolation and have less opportunity to be exposed to the assets available in the Lowcountry.

Children in eighth grade are at an especially unique point in their development as they are forming more complex social networks, about to enter high school, and beginning to consider education and career paths for their future.

Beyond Your Front Door will offer a group of Black and Lationo/a/x students in the 8thgrade at Deer Park Middle School experiences over three separate days. Excursion sites will include the South Carolina Aquarium, International African American Museum, CharlesTowne Landing, and Bull’s Island.

Mission: Create meaningful connections for children from disparate underprivileged backgrounds to the cultural, historical, and environmental assets of the Lowcountry while offering opportunities for them to learn of various educational and career paths.

Project Objectives

• Connect students of different backgrounds.
• Foster appreciation for learning about the cultural, historical, and natural environment in the Lowcountry
• Encourage consideration of various educational and career pathways