Improving Education!
Education is a high priority to our cooperative. We strive to educate our members and others about the functions of a cooperative and how to improve education as a whole through special programs developed at HTC.
Visit the HTC School website for more information on HTC educational programs or contact Nicole Hyman at (843) 369-8498.
Directory and Cell Phone Recycling Program |
| HTC has taken a leadership role in the recycling effort, which has become increasingly important as landfill space fills up and as our environment becomes more threatened by pollution. In 1991, HTC began a recycling program for old telephone directories and has continued the campaign every year since. |
This year, the RECYCLING 2010 campaign kicks off on March 15. The goal is for each partnering school to collect a total of 2010 directories and cell phones. The project will run through May 3, 2010.
HTC will award 1st ($2,500 value), 2nd ($1,000 value) and 3rd place ($500 value) technology prizes to the schools that recycle the most directories based on the number of students in the school. Technology prizes will include desktop computers, laptops, smartboards, mobis and more. |
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In exchange for old cell phones, HTC will contribute money to the Horry County Schools' fund for Homeless Students. For each old cell phone that is delivered to any HTC branch office location, HTC will donate $1.00 to the fund.
Each time a student recycles a directory or cell phone and his/her donation is recorded at our HTC Conway office location, that student will receive a coupon good for a FREE 12 OZ. FROSTY from Wendy's® and Buy any Pretzel Item and get a FREE original or cinnamon sugar Pretzel from Auntie Anne's!
In addition to the directory and cell phone recycling campaign, HTC is hosting a Green Fair and Earth Day celebration at the Towne Centre store in Carolina Forest on Thursday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. School groups are invited to attend to recycle directories and cell phones on that special day.
Special thanks to our partners: Wendy's, the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, Auntie Anne's.
Recycling Program 2009 Results:
Last year, 64 public and private schools in Horry and Georgetown counties participated and raised $11,040.00 to benefit their schools. Over 70,000 phone books were recycled, which means over 70 tons of directories were recycled instead of going into the landfill. Participating schools also recycled 395 old cell phones. HTC will donate $400.00 (included in the total above) to the Horry County Schools' fund for Homeless Students.
Winning for the third time was Conway Middle School by recycling 9,989 directories. Coming in 2nd Place for the first time was St. Michael's Catholic School with 7,899 directories, and North Myrtle Beach Middle School came in 3rd place by recycling 5,955 directories. In addition to the monetary donation, these schools enjoyed kid's meals compliments of Wendy's.
Over the last 11 years, HTC has contributed more than $105,000 to public and private schools in Horry and Georgetown Counties on behalf of recycling efforts. These funds have been used by schools to purchase new computer software and to upgrade equipment. |
Back to School FREE School Supplies Program |
Each fall, HTC hosts a Back to School Promotion and donates FREE school supplies to the children of any visitor who comes by the office. This promotion was created to help those less fortunate in the community get ready to go back to school. HTC and the Kiwanis Club of Conway sponsored the program again in 2009.
Bags containing school supplies such as rulers, pencils, pencil bags, erasers and more were available for students (no purchase necessary). For more information about the Back to School FREE school supplies program, please call 369-8498.
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Henry G. McNeill Endowed Scholarship Fund |
On July 23, 2007, The Board of Directors of HTC, family members and friends established the Henry G. McNeill Endowed Scholarship Fund to honor the memory of Mr. Henry G. McNeill, our beloved president until his passing on January 3, 2007.
The scholarship dedicated to the memory of Mr. McNeill provides funding for students enrolled in the Electronics Engineering Technology Programs of Horry Georgetown Technical College.
Mr. McNeill was a long time supporter of HGTC and served on the Board of Directors for many years. The scholarship was created with the hope that future employees of HTC may benefit. |
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Candidates must be:
- Enrolled in the Electronics Engineering Technology Programs at HGTC, in any year of study, either full or part-time.
- GPA of 3.0 is required for students already enrolled at HGTC to be eligible for the scholarship.
- Student must maintain full time residency of Horry and Georgetown counties.
- Student must be a graduate of a high school within Horry and Georgetown counties.
Funds may be used for tuition, books, supplies or other educational expenses; including personal computers. The selection will be made by the College Scholarship Committee with recommendation from the Electronics Engineering Technology Departments. Interested applicants can contact the HGTC Financial Aid Office.
In the spring, HTC hosts its annual REEL Kids program that honors 48 students (one per school) in Horry County Schools. REEL Kids stands for Recognizing Extraordinary Examples of Leadership and recognizes students, K-12, who have proven their leadership abilities through scholastic, athletic, and community achievements in the face of obstacles or extenuating circumstances. Each student is recognized during a Friday segment of RiverTalk on our local access channel program. Click here for the list of 2009 REEL Kids Honorees. |
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In 2009, over 300 guests were present at the awards ceremony held on May 28.
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HTC, Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union, and 104.9 Bob FM are partnering to offer two scholarship awards to graduating high school seniors within Horry, Georgetown, Marion, Williamsburg, and the southern part of Florence County. Click here for more information or ask your high school guidance counselor how to apply. For more information, call 369-8498 or 443-8553.
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Tours and Classroom Presentations |
HTC has prepared numerous presentations to entertain and educate students in the classroom such as 911 Safety, Careers in Telecommunications, Fiber Optics, Recycling Phone Books, and the Telecommunications Industry. HTC has also created a library for teachers of books and videos on the telecommunications industry as a great additive to your lesson. Click here for educational resources and more information.
In addition to classroom presentations, we encourage classes to tour the HTC campus to experience hands-on learning of the requirements to provide phone, cable, Internet, and more to their classroom and home. To schedule a tour, contact Nicole Hyman at (843) 369-8498
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Each June, HTC sponsors two High School juniors to be among 100 students to attend the Foundation for Rural Service's Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. The tour gives participants a first-hand look at the telecommunications industry and the legislative process by visiting Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other governmental agencies. They also see famous landmarks such as the Washington Monument, Smithsonian Institution, Jefferson and Lincoln memorials, U.S. Capital, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington Cathedral and Supreme Court. In addition, there are fun activities to supplement the tour, including the night tour of the city and lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. Qualified candidates are based on the following requirements:
- Be a high school junior;
- Have at least a C Grade Point Average or above;
- Demonstrate leadership in organizations and interest in community through volunteer activities;
- Write a letter explaining why he or she would like to attend and stating his or her future plans beyond high school;
- Obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher of school official.
- Parents must be an HTC member.
Guidance counselors at each high school must recommend one student to represent their high school by completing an application form. |
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HTC sends out a bi-monthly newsletter called HTC@school to all teachers, principals and guidance counselors. The educational update from HTC informs and reminds educators of what HTC has to offer the classroom in forms of presentations, tours and as an educational resource. The newsletter is a communication tool that HTC developed in 1999 to help notify teachers as to what HTC has to offer the classroom. By reading the newsletter, teachers and principals have a special link to a qualified educational representative. The educational newsletter was also created to increase the amount of tours and classroom presentations as well as promote HTC's continued commitment to educational achievements and programs.
Sign up for the HTC@school newsletter today! |
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We also send employee volunteers into the local public and private schools to ensure that young children are exposed to the modern tools of telecommunications, and that children understand the importance of a good education. In addition, our volunteers teach young children how to use the 9-1-1 emergency response number. Over the last several years, HTC has been a sponsor of the Fire and Life Safety Expo held in Myrtle Beach. Thousands of students representing schools in Horry and Georgetown Counties attend this event and learn about Safety Tips for Kids that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. |
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In November, HTC celebrates National Children's Book Week by providing volunteers in each classroom of a nearby school. These volunteers read several books and emphasize the importance of reading. The HTC Readers program kicks off during the week and employees commit to reading once a week for the rest of the school year. Also in celebration of the week, HTC, the Horry Independent, and the Loris Scene team up to host a book drive for First Book of Horry County. New books collected during the drive are given to disadvantaged children in the communities we serve. In 2006, over 48 books were donated to First Book of Horry County. Margene Willis, chair for First Book of Horry County, accepted the donation on behalf of the board and distributed the books to a critical area at Loris Education and Conway Education centers childcare programs, Cedar Branch Children's Center, and the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Conway. |
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In October of 2003, just in time for family safety month, HTC got on board with the McGruff Truck program along with the other utility companies to help people when they have emergencies. Most young people have heard of the McGruff Dog who says, "Take a bite out of crime." The message of the McGruff Truck program so appropriate for a telephone company is, "We'll Call for Help." McGruff Truck stickers are located on all HTC vehicles and if someone has an emergency and motions to the driver, the HTC employee will call for help. HTC hosts McGruff assembly programs to educate and inform students of the procedures to follow if they have an emergency.
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HTC and Horry Electric Cooperative are excited to announce the launch of Bright Ideas, a grant program to provide funding for innovative classroom-based education projects. "Bright Ideas" grants are intended to fund projects outside normal public school funding parameters and can be made available to all disciplines in grades K-12 in Horry County. A school may submit an application, and teachers are limited to one application per year. Click here for the application and more information regarding guidelines and criteria for the Bright Ideas program.
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