The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center has received a generous $100,000 grant from TD Bank to expand two vital community programs aimed at improving health education and providing opportunities for young people in Charleston County.
Grant Breakdown and Impact
Of the total grant, $85,000 will go toward expanding SC AMEN, a prostate cancer education program designed specifically for Black men. The remaining $15,000 will support SC CHEER Youth Enjoy Science (YES), a summer research internship program for high school students in Charleston County.
Supporting the SC CHEER YES Program
The funding comes at a crucial time for the SC CHEER YES program, which was at risk due to funding cuts from the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Marvella Ford, Associate Director of the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at Hollings, emphasized the significance of this grant. “Without the grant funding, we’re not able to offer this program to high school students,” she said. “The TD Bank Foundation has made this continuation of the program possible, and they’ve not only allowed us to continue it, but they’ve allowed us to expand it.”
SC CHEER YES Program Overview
SC CHEER YES offers paid internships for high school sophomores and juniors, providing them with mentorship and hands-on experience in cancer research labs. The program is open to students from four local high schools: Burke High School, Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, North Charleston High School, and St. John’s High School. Each summer cohort typically consists of 15 to 20 students, many of whom return after their first year.
Student Success and Future Careers
One of the current students, Tahiem Watkins, a 16-year-old from North Charleston High School, expressed his excitement about the program and its impact. “It is important for other students to keep on experiencing the SC CHEER YES program because of what they provide, and the insight that they give to students is amazing and it’s needed across all schools inside the whole entire healthcare area,” Watkins said.
Program leaders report that 88% of students who participate in SC CHEER YES go on to enroll in four-year universities, pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields. “These are brilliant students; they’re 15 and 16, and the research projects that they’re working on are far beyond the scope of anything that most of us in the program were working on at their age,” said Ford.
Expanding the SC AMEN Program for Prostate Cancer Awareness
The grant will also help expand SC AMEN, a critical program focused on prostate cancer education and screening for Black men in South Carolina. Statistics show that Black men in the state are 2.5 times more likely to die of prostate cancer than white men. SC AMEN works to bridge this gap by educating Black men about prostate cancer detection and treatment options.
Program leaders have reported significant success, with 77% of participants having been screened or scheduled for screening, compared to the national average of only 38%. The program has successfully screened over 600 men across South Carolina, and they aim to reach all 46 counties in the state.
The TD Bank grant will significantly enhance the efforts of both SC CHEER YES and SC AMEN, helping these initiatives make a lasting impact on health education and career development for youth and Black men in South Carolina. As these programs grow, they will continue to empower participants and help tackle health disparities in the community.
