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Riley Institute announces finalists for Excellence Award

The award is named for Dick Riley and his late wife


Last updated September 3, 2014

By News administrator

The award is named for Dick Riley and his late wife, Tunky.

The award is named for Dick Riley and his late wife, Tunky. 

The Riley Institute at Furman University and South Carolina Future Minds have announced the three finalists for the Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC Award for Excellence.

The winner of the annual award, which highlights innovative educational initiatives throughout the state, will be announced Thursday, Oct. 2 during a luncheon at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The luncheon, which begins at 12:30 p.m., will take place during the South Carolina Future Minds’ annual Public Education Partners meeting.

Presented in conjunction with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the awards ceremony will be hosted by Linda O’Bryon, president and CEO of South Carolina ETV. Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley will offer brief remarks and present awards to each of the three finalists.

The finalists are:

•     Communities in Schools of Greenville County (empowering and supporting students to stay in school and achieve in life)

•     Francis Marion University Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of  Poverty (serving teachers, school leaders, and educational stakeholders statewide)

•     Reach Out and Read (serving children 5-and-under statewide through their healthcare providers)

Candidates were selected from more than 80 entries in the Riley Institute’s WhatWorksSCsm clearinghouse, which showcases initiatives that explore and exemplify key strategies for improving South Carolina’s public schools.

The WhatWorksSC awards luncheon is open to the public. The cost is $15, and online registration is available at this link.

For more information about the WhatWorksSC awards luncheon, contact the Riley Institute at 864-294-3546 or email jill.fuson@furman.edu.  For more information about the 2014 Conference of S.C. Public Education Partners, visit www.scfutureminds.org. Information about the Riley Institute’s WhatWorksSCsm clearinghouse can be found here.

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