Trail Blazers

Team Members:Doug Greenwell, Liz Keith, Timika Nesbit, Cynthia Randolph, Eric Vinesse, Leon Wiles

Members of the Trail Blazers decided to analyze the connection between poverty and poor performance in the classroom by third and fifth graders. Through their research, they presented striking evidence that there is a direct relationship between the two. They also showed that the opportunity for impact to be made on this disparity closes rapidly between the third and fifth grade. With this data, the Trail Blazers selected three elementary schools in Greenville County to implement one or both of the following programs, United Ministries’ “Understanding Poverty in the Classroom” and the Greater Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Carolina First Center for Evidence. These two programs aim to provide information and tools to the teachers and parents of at-risk children at these schools.