Alternative Pathways to Educator Certification (APEC) Center at Columbia College selected as the 2025 Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC award winner
March 28, 2025
Columbia College’s Alternative Pathways to Educator Certification (APEC) Center has been named the winner of the 2025 Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC Award, awarded annually by The Riley Institute at Furman University. The award, named after former U.S. Secretary of Education and two-term S.C. governor Richard Riley and his late wife Tunky, recognizes exceptional programs making a positive impact on South Carolina public education.
The APEC Center recruits, prepares, and retains quality teachers for critical need schools in South Carolina. The center provides a research-based alternative certification pathway and professional development, mentoring, and support aimed at improving the performance and retention of teachers who receive alternative certification in partner districts.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized for our commitment to recruiting and retaining exceptional educators. This acknowledgment affirms the impact of our work and the passion our faculty, APEC Fellows, and partners bring to strengthening public education. To be celebrated alongside other outstanding programs reinforces the collective effort needed to support and uplift our schools and communities,” said Columbia College’s Dean of the Division of Education, Dr. Tracy West.
Developed in 2018, the APEC Center began with a partnership with two school districts and has since expanded to 12 in the Midlands area. The program has prepared 111 teachers employed in 50 schools, including 37 underperforming, high-need schools, during a time when teacher shortages in South Carolina have seen all-time highs.
Further, several APEC-trained teachers have been named Teacher of the Year and First-Year Teacher of the Year. In addition to recruiting and preparing teachers for South Carolina public schools, APEC provides two years of induction support, which contributes to a 95% teacher retention rate.
Dr. Marla Sanders, Director of the APEC Center at Columbia College, commented, “The success of this program is measured not only in numbers, but in the transformative impact it has on the lives of teachers and their students. We’ve seen educators grow in confidence, leadership, and resilience—and that growth radiates into their classrooms, creating more engaging and supportive learning environments. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the ripple effect of this work in schools and communities.”
The APEC Center will be honored alongside 2025 WhatWorksSC finalists, Greenville-based after-school and summer learning program YouthBASE, and ArtsNOW, a statewide arts integration program, at the 15th annual WhatWorksSC Award Celebration in Columbia, S.C.
The award celebration honoring all three programs and featuring an in-depth onstage conversation with representatives from the APEC Center will be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on May 1 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The luncheon event is open to the public, and tickets and table sponsorships can be purchased here.
About the Riley Institute at Furman University
The Riley Institute empowers emerging and established leaders—across sectors and throughout society—with the knowledge and tools to advance equity and drive social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond. We work to strengthen public education; promote the power of diversity to help teams, organizations, and communities thrive; and elevate informed, evidence-based approaches to critical public issues. In all it does, the institute is committed to nonpartisanship and a bias-free path to change.
About Columbia College
Founded in 1854, Columbia College educates women and men to build successful careers and live lives of impact. The College’s liberal arts foundation ensures that students learn to think critically, develop their curiosity, and nurture a love for learning. With a 14-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, Columbia College students benefit from individualized support, engaged instruction, and personal mentorship. With more than 30 undergraduate programs and eight graduate programs, students can discover and pursue their passion and purpose.
