About SC Public Charter School District Kids First Podcast
The Kids First Podcast is your go-to program for all things South Carolina charter schools! Hosted by the South Carolina Public Charter School District, the show highlights the incredible stories of teachers, leaders, and students making a difference across the state. Tune in to learn about the innovative programs, unique opportunities, and real-world impact of charter schools that put #KidsFirst every day. Airing weekly on 100.7 The Point, the show celebrates the power of education to inspire and transform communities.
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On this episode of Kids First, Keven Cohen welcomes Karen Nelson, a teacher at Horse Creek Academy in Aiken, joined by Superintendent Chris Neeley. A fifteen-year educator who spent years teaching middle school English, Nelson shares what drew her into an unexpected new adventure after a simple conversation about media projects, armed with no camera or microphone experience but a gift for pulling a good story out of a kid. She and Chris dig into what makes a charter school like Horse Creek so distinctive, from the autonomy teachers have to know their students and build real relationships to a Pre-K through 12 campus where older students mentor the little ones, and everyone seems to know everyone, a connection Nelson lovingly compares to a giant spider web.
The heart of the conversation is the school's student-led podcast, one example of how Horse Creek helps young people discover skills they never knew they had. Nelson explains how the program grew from a small city partnership into a weekly show run by students across the grades, complete with sports segments, community spotlights, and a brand new feature that brings the school's youngest voices up to the microphone. Along the way, she, Keven, and Chris reflect on why building confidence and communication matters so much, especially for a generation still finding its footing, and how the school's career pathways, including a state-certified aesthetics and nail program, give students a real chance to find their own skill and their own direction. It is a joyful, inspiring look at innovation, great teaching, and what it means to put kids first. And listeners can look forward to meeting some of the student hosts themselves on an upcoming episode.
🔗 Learn more: https://www.hcacs.net/ (https://www.hcacs.net/)
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29 Sept 2026
Military Families and the Workforce of Tomorrow
On this episode of Kids First, Keven Cohen sits down with Brad Henry, Vice President of External Affairs for the South Carolina Public Charter School District, for one of their regular looks at what is happening across the district. The two begin with a cause close to the show's heart, supporting South Carolina's military families. Brad explains what it means to be the state's only Purple Star district, with a designated person in every one of its schools trained to help military-connected students who often arrive mid-year after moving again and again. He points to the success of an existing charter school right by Joint Base Charleston and shares the growing momentum behind a long-held goal: bringing a charter option to families at Fort Jackson so students have somewhere to continue once they finish the elementary schools already on base.
From there, the conversation turns to innovation and the future of the workforce. Brad breaks down the district's Workforce Centers of Excellence, schools built around the real needs of their local communities, where students gain dual enrollment, internships, and apprenticeships that connect classroom learning to actual careers. Because no two regions of South Carolina are alike, no two centers look the same, from manufacturing in the Upstate to maritime work in the Lowcountry. He shares a standout example in Orangeburg, where students are earning real credentials and hands-on experience before they ever graduate, and makes the case for why preparing young people for college, career, or military service, and giving them reasons to build their futures at home, is exactly what putting kids first looks like. It is an energizing glimpse at how the district keeps expanding opportunity for families statewide.
🔗 Learn more: https://sccharter.org/ (https://sccharter.org/)
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22 Sept 2026
Dr. Brenda Hafner | Liberty STEAM | Part 1
On this episode of Kids First, part one of a two-part conversation, Keven Cohen welcomes Dr. Brenda Hafner, school leader of Liberty STEAM Charter: A School of Inquiry, Innovation, and Impact in Sumter, joined by Superintendent Chris Neeley. Hafner shares the full-circle story of returning to Sumter, a community she once served as assistant superintendent, to lead a school she has admired from afar for years. She and Chris celebrate just how much Liberty has accomplished since its founding, from hitting one hundred percent of its charter goals and earning top marks in academics, finance, and operations to recent Cognia recognition as a Distinguished School, all while carrying a waiting list of more than two thousand families eager to get in. Stepping into a school with such strong bones, Hafner makes clear she has no intention of resting on its success.
The conversation then turns to what comes next, including Liberty's steady growth one grade at a time toward a future high school built around in-demand career pathways, where students can graduate with an associate's degree, a workforce credential, or a clear path to college or military service. Hafner talks about the school's deep commitment to military families near Shaw Air Force Base, its Purple Star support, and the hands-on, innovation-driven learning that pairs students with real industry partners to solve real-world problems. Along the way, Keven previews a deeper look at the Liberty way, the culture of accountability and genuine parent partnership that sets the school apart. It is an energizing glimpse at a beloved Sumter school entering an exciting new chapter.
🔗 Learn more: https://libertysteamcharter.org/ (https://libertysteamcharter.org/)
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