Kids On Point receives $50,000 grant from Power:Ed to expand its Academic Pathways program to serve more students

Kids On Point (KOP), a nonprofit that works year-round with students in under-resourced Charleston neighborhoods to foster life-and career-readiness skills, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from Power:Ed, the philanthropy of SC Student Loan Corporation. This marks the third grant KOP has received from Power:Ed in the past three years.

Pictured L to R: SC Student Loan board member Gautum Ghatnekar, Power:Ed executive director Claire Gibbons, KOP director of advancement Barbie Schreiner, and KOP executive director Lauren Herterich, along with participating students.

Kids On Point’s High School Academic Pathways Program supports students as they navigate the critical transition from middle school to graduation and beyond. Through academic coaching, tutoring, college and career exploration, workforce readiness training, and paid and unpaid internship opportunities, students build the skills, confidence, and social capital needed to succeed after high school. The program emphasizes individualized pathway planning, whether students are pursuing college, technical training, military service, or direct entry into the workforce, while also addressing barriers that often limit access to opportunity, such as transportation, academic gaps, and limited exposure to career options. With Power:Ed’s investment, Kids On Point will expand these services to reach more high school students in North Charleston, strengthening outcomes for students and families while contributing to a more prepared local workforce.

“We’re grateful to Power:Ed for their continued partnership and belief in our students,” said Lauren Herterich, Executive Director of Kids On Point. “This investment allows us to deepen and expand our High School Academic Pathways Program, meeting students where they are and helping them identify and pursue a future that fits their strengths, goals, and aspirations. When students are supported through these critical years, the impact extends well beyond the classroom to families, employers, and the broader community.”

“Kids On Point has made a difference in the success of so many students and their families. We are excited to support the High School Academic Pathways Program, and we look forward to learning about what these students will accomplish as they continue their education and enter the workforce,” said Power:Ed Director Claire Gibbons.

Power:Ed plans to award $1,325,000 in grants to South Carolina education and career readiness organizations in FY2025-26. In this second fiscal quarter, Power:Ed awarded five grants, including this grant to KOP, totaling $264,000. Grants are administered quarterly, and the next grant funding deadline is January 1, 2026.

About Kids On Point

For 15 years, Kids On Point has offered free year-round support for underserved youth in the Charleston community. As a small non-profit working to tackle systemic issues (educational inequality and poverty) in Charleston, SC, Kids On Point operates intentionally based on data driven outcomes to avoid the ‘mission creep’ that can dilute the effectiveness of many nonprofits. Year-round, programming is focused on alleviating the resource disparity that low-income and underserved students experience by providing afterschool and summer programming. With an intentional approach, Kids On Point provides access an opportunity to students to create a world where all kids can thrive.

About Power:Ed

Founded in 2019, Power:Ed, a philanthropy of SC Student Loan is dedicated to creating opportunities for South Carolina’s youth and adults by supporting low-income, underrepresented, and first-generation students; improving access to college and degree completion; and creating pathways to quality workforce opportunities. Organizations serving middle school through post-college talent who are interested in applying for a grant or partnering with Power:Ed, should visit power-ed.org.