SCRA, Exceptional SC partner to connect businesses, students

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Exceptional SC and SCRA are working together to form a business-education partnership that will connect South Carolina’s business community with over 3,000 exceptional needs scholarship students and schools across the state.

The partnership, called Exceptional Connections, will connect businesses with special-needs students and schools for internships, potential jobs and mentorship opportunities.

Exceptional SC is a nonprofit created by the Exceptional SC Law of 2018 that supports students with disabilities and their families through scholarships to private schools.

“We’re bringing early stage technology companies, some of whom are working to improve education opportunities and technologies, to the table with mentoring, grants and investments,” SCRA Executive Director Bob Quinn said in a news release, adding that partnering directly with schools strengthens those relationships.

Chad Connelly, executive director of Exceptional SC, said, “This is the lifeline of economic growth for these students. When they have the education they need, in the setting that best meets their learning styles, and they have the ability to connect with businesses in their area, these students are poised for success.”