Education
Children’s earliest experiences – before they even enter school – can determine their ability to succeed for the rest of their lives. Early access to quality education is essential to promoting their development and learning into the future.
We envision a community where all children enter kindergarten ready to learn, and all children and youth learn, achieve, and succeed while engaging families and communities.
Ready for School – South Carolina’s Profile of the Ready Kindergartner
All children are ready for kindergarten when they are five years old by September 1 of that school year. But kindergarten readiness is more than a matter of age. For a strong start in school, children need positive relationships and supportive learning environments beginning at birth. It is our responsibility as families, caregivers, and communities to nurture the health and development necessary for school success.
South Carolina’s Profile of the Ready Kindergartner describes the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional signs of school readiness. Because each child develops differently, each child will be ready in different ways. That is why schools and educators must also be ready: prepared to meet the individual needs of students at all levels of readiness and provide whatever support and services are needed for a quality kindergarten experience.
Profile of the Ready Kindergartner (English)
Profile of the Ready Kindergartner (Spanish)
Printable flyer (English)
Printable flyer (Spanish)
United Way of Horry County Programs to Support Education:
Mission Ready
Mission Ready is an initiative targeted at 0-5 early education of UWHC that includes several programs that make up the programs we provide for early education, Camp United, Heggerty, and The Basics.
Heggerty
Working with local childcare centers, we are bringing the Heggerty program into the community, which is a phonemic awareness curriculum that teaches daily phonemic lessons in 12 minutes or less.
The Basics
A community awareness program that supports early learning and brain development for all children. The Basics are five simple and powerful ways that every family can give every child a strong start from birth.
Click to learn more about The Basics™ Waccamaw
Triple P
Triple P: Positive Parenting Program is one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programs in the world.
UWHC is Level 2 trained in Triple P to offer parenting classes to give parents simple and practical strategies to help them build strong, healthy relationships, confidently manage their children’s behavior and prevent problems from developing.
If you or your organization is interested in offering a Triple P Parenting Class please contact:
Richard Williams Jr. – Director of Education
richard@unitedwayhorry.org
(843) 347-1179
Early Childhood Literacy
Through UWHC’s United to Read and Caring for Kindergartners, volunteers from the community visit Horry County Schools’ kindergarten and first-grade classrooms. Every classroom is read a book and participates in an activity related to the book’s theme.
These events promote the importance of early childhood literacy and volunteerism within Horry County.
The students see the volunteers as mentors and enjoy the event just as much as the volunteers do.
Ready, Set, Kindergarten!
Through UWHC’s Ready, Set, Kindergarten! program, Conway Elementary kindergarten teachers and United Way volunteers will host monthly Saturday sessions for families of rising kindergartners, coming early 2026.
The sessions focus on interactive literacy activities, parent engagement, and providing take-home materials that help reinforce kindergarten readiness skills.
This program aims to support the district’s Rise With Reading goal by strengthening family-school connections, boosting parental involvement, and ensuring all children start kindergarten with the skills they need to thrive.
Grant Funding
We proudly provide grants to the following local agencies to help promote development and learning in Horry County.
