CHARLESTON, S.C., Sept. 13, 2021 – The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Charleston County School District (CCSD) each announced a $1 million investment in the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness (BCCW) to expand the program’s offerings to include resources addressing children’s mental health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding from Boeing and Charleston County School District will support the current school-based wellness initiative while adding mental health support offerings for schools in Charleston County. Supports will include training for classroom teachers to help children find appropriate coping mechanisms and ways to deal with stress as well as integration of MUSC Telehealth which will bring high quality, evidence-based, trauma-focused mental health services to children in a school setting. In addition, this funding will support the development of a plan to substantially change and improve the mental health system.
Rev. Dr. Eric Mack (at podium), CCSD Board of Trustees Chairman, speaks on behalf of CCSD to present a $1 million grant to the MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness. On stage left to right: Dr. Gerrita Postlewait, Superintendent of CCSD; David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, MUSC President; Jennifer Lowe, Vice President of National Strategy and Engagement, Boeing
“Boeing is incredibly proud of this partnership because together we are building off the success of the MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness, the expertise of the Medical University of South Carolina, and the dedication and commitment of the Charleston County School District to students, staff, and families,” said Jennifer Lowe, vice present of National Strategy and Engagement with Boeing. “With this investment, MUSC and the BCCW will be able to dedicate resources to children’s physical and mental health while creating space for Charleston County School District to focus on their core mission of academic achievement.”
“By coming together through partnership, MUSC, Boeing and the Charleston County School District have seen significant results in reducing childhood obesity and improving student wellness,” said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, MUSC President. “We are so grateful to our friends at Boeing and CCSD for believing in us, sharing our innovative spirit and remaining such important partners as we seek to improve the wellbeing of children and their families. These funds will make a significant difference in helping the MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness meet the increasing need for mental health support in schools.”
“The provision of high-quality mental health services for our students and robust training for our staff is essential to ensuring our children have the tools they need to begin recovery from the impacts of COVID-19,” said Rev. Dr. Eric Mack, CCSD Board of Trustees Chairman. “We know, undoubtedly, that our students have experienced profound loss in many, many ways this past year and we must find ways to join together as a community to wrap our resources and supports around our most important assets- our children.”
Jennifer Lowe (left), Boeing’s Vice President of National Strategy and Engagement, presents a $1 million grant to Dr. Janice Key (right), Executive Director for MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness to expand the program to include mental health support.
Over the past decade, the MUSC BCCW, which reaches 17 school districts in South Carolina, has focused on wellness and obesity prevention by working directly with schools to implement programs that promote healthy eating, physical activity and social-emotional learning. The programs have demonstrated positive outcomes in connection to Body Mass Index (BMI), asthma, school attendance and suspensions/expulsions, and high school graduation rates. With Boeing’s and CCSD’s investment, the MUSC BCCW will expand school wellness to include more targeted mental health support by leveraging relationships with schools, state agencies and the hospital’s vast expertise.
“The Boeing Company is once again leading the way in its support of our efforts to address the needs of children through working with schools. They supported our initial work to turn the tide of childhood obesity and have now recognized the current community need, improved mental health services,” said Dr. Janice Key, Executive Director, Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness.
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About Boeing
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future and living the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Learn more at www.Boeing.com.
For more information about Boeing’s philanthropic efforts, please visit the Company’s Global Engagement website. For more information about Boeing South Carolina, visit www.weareboeingsc.com.
About the Charleston County School District:
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is a nationally accredited school district committed to providing equitable and quality educational opportunities for all of its students. CCSD is the second-largest school system in South Carolina and represents a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves approximately 49,000 students in 88 schools and specialized programs.
CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), Montessori, and charter schools. Options include programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), music and other creative and performing arts, career and technical preparation programs, and military.
About the Medical University of South Carolina
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is home to the oldest medical school in the South as well as the state’s only integrated academic health sciences center, with a unique charge to serve the state through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and nearly 800 residents in six colleges: Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. MUSC brought in more than $271 million in biomedical research funds in fiscal year 2020, continuing to lead the state in obtaining National Institutes of Health funding, with more than $129.9 million. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the clinical health system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest quality patient care available while training generations of competent, compassionate health care providers to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Comprising some 2,000 beds, more than 100 outreach sites, the MUSC College of Medicine, the physicians’ practice plan and nearly 275 telehealth locations, MUSC Health owns and operates eleven hospitals situated in Charleston, Chester, Fairfield, Florence, Kershaw, Lancaster, Marion and Richland counties. In 2021, for the seventh consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC and its affiliates have collective annual budgets of $4.4 billion. The more than 20,000 MUSC team members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers and scientists who deliver groundbreaking education, research, technology and patient care.
About the MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness
The MUSC BCCW was established ten years ago with foundational support from the Boeing Company. It envisions a South Carolina where all children are healthy, succeed in school, and thrive in life. The implementation of the MUSC BCCW School-Based Wellness Initiative supports this vision by engaging the school community in creating a healthy learning environment. This is achieved through three key components: the utilization of the School Wellness Checklist©, the participation of an active school wellness committee, and the support provided by an MUSC BCCW Program Coordinator. The MUSC BCCW relies on grants, donations, and sponsorships to carry out its mission.