Williamston, S.C. - Hundreds of students and parents attended the 2nd annual Future is Bright event at Palmetto Middle School this spring.
The annual event provides a variety of resources and services to Multilingual students and parents in Anderson School District One.
“Each family is different with their needs and goals, but our hope is to inspire students to look forward to their futures after high school is over: whether that is going directly into the workforce, joining the military, going to trade school, or pursuing higher education,” said Gabriela Brady, ML Parent and Student Liaison. “It is important not just for our students to see all the options, but also for our parents to have tools in their toolbox to help their children, as we know that encouragement fostered in the home is extremely important for a child’s success.”
This year, more than 30 community organizations and professionals took part in the resource fair including several universities, military branches, healthcare providers, churches and nonprofits.
Hispanos Comunidad Salud, a nonprofit providing free health services to adults, partnered with the district to give parents an opportunity to sign up for health services such as general check-ups or vision exams. According to Brady, sign ups for these health services will be available every 9 weeks starting in the 2024-2025 school year.
“Our event goes beyond walking past a resource table and picking up a brochure, we focus on establishing meaningful connections between the resources and the families so that parents and students are equipped to reach out to the services that they need when the time comes for them to use them,” said Brady.
During the event, several workshops were offered for families, including:
Pickens Adult Learning Center presented an English as a Second language class
Hispanos Comunidad Salud held a workshop focused on mental health and supporting a teen emotionally
International Dance Academy offered a dance lesson for students centered on self-care