Wes Hickman (202-224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864-250-1417)

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint today announced the Georgetown County United Way will receive a $2,650,870 grant to support early childhood reading. The funds will be used by United Way of Georgetown County along with coalition partners First Steps of Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties, Little Smurfs Child Care Center, and the Georgetown and Williamsburg School Districts to implement the Building Literacy Opportunities for Coastal Kindergartens (BLOCK) program. BLOCK helps provide enhanced learning opportunities for students in rural, poverty-stricken areas of coastal South Carolina. The program seeks to improve students’ oral language, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and print awareness skills. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####