Columbia College program awarded $24,000 grant.

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A Columbia College program working to recruit, train and retain teachers for S.C. school districts in need has been awarded a $24,000 grant to expand its services.

The Alternative Pathways for Educator Certification Center at Columbia College, led by Marla Sanders and Tracy West, received the grant from Columbia-based supplemental insurance company Colonial Life to focus on Title One schools in Richland School District 2 along with partnerships with City Year, an education nonprofit working with public schools "in high-need communities to ensure student and school success," according to a news release from the college.

"We are pleased to partner with Columbia College and in support of APEC and are grateful to their leadership team for developing this creative approach to increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in critical needs school districts in South Carolina," Marie McGehee, director of corporate social responsibility at Colonial Life said in the release. "Education is the primary focus of our outreach efforts, and we are committed to supporting organizations that...