COLUMBIA, S.C. —
The Carolus Online Academy hosted its back-to-school event in Columbia on Friday at the South Carolina Public Charter School District office.
The academy started its new program, "Carolus Cares: Project Give Back," which supports at-risk students at school and throughout South Carolina.
“We came out to kind of support, just see what was going on," Renae Mullinax said."And it's good for her because we're in school at home, so she doesn't really get to interact with kids from her school.”
Mullinax's daughter, Samiya Berry, has only attended the school for two weeks. Berry is in kindergarten and works online at her dad’s workplace. Mullinax had never heard of the school before she enrolled.
“We did find it on Facebook, but we didn't know it was tuition-free," Millinax said. "They actually sent us all of her school books, workbooks; they sent her a laptop; they sent her a printer. It said everything, everything was fully furnished, and we didn't pay anything for it, which was a surprise, so no registration fees or anything. So that was amazing.”
The Carolus Academy is free and has a goal and mission: 84% percent of the students enrolled are classified as economically disadvantaged, higher than the state average of 61%.
“We do have a coordinator who works with families who are considered homeless," Pamela Sieger said. "We also have a coordinator who works with families who do qualify for free and reduced lunch. And so what we do is we get them in contact with local communities where they live in order to find resources.”
The event provided families with food, toys, games, books and clothes.
“We are not financially, you know, struggling, but for those families who are, absolutely," Mullinax said. "They may not be able to afford -- we didn't have to buy clothes; we didn't have to buy backpacks. Don't have to buy any -- they provided everything for us so, financially, for families who may be looking for some kind of relief in that manner, it's absolutely a wonderful program.”
Samiyah is five years old and said she loves learning the alphabet and three-dimensional shapes.
“I like to talk to my teachers whenever I have a question or dont know what it means like I guess it ... and I will tell my teacher,” Samiya said.