Students and educators to celebrate educational options during School Choice Week
COLUMBIA, S.C., Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — More than 1000 students, parents, and teachers will rally at the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia on Wednesday, Jan. 28 with a common goal: to highlight the success of school choice for South Carolina families.
Organized by the Charleston RISE in collaboration with the nonprofit National School Choice Awareness Foundation, the event is timed to coincide with National School Choice Week and will begin with a student showcase featuring 15 student groups from across the state from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at the USC Alumni Center (900 Senate St., Columbia, SC 29201).
Following the showcase, students, families, and educators will march together to the South Carolina Statehouse (100 Gervais St., Columbia, SC 29208) for pep-rally celebration on the Statehouse steps, featuring live student-led band and choir performances, a performance of the National School Choice Week dance, and remarks from education and state leaders.
This event offers the public an opportunity to hear from parents, students, educators and legislators about the impact of school choice on their lives and the broader community.
“The main goal of South Carolina’s National School Choice Week Celebration is to highlight the power of knowing when children are not getting the quality education they deserve. Real choice begins with that awareness,” said Cheryl Cromwell, Executive Director of Charleston RISE. “This event underscores that families do have options — and when parents understand those options, it can be life-changing for their children and their communities.”
National School Choice Week runs Jan. 25–31 and includes 28,000 events across America. The goal of the week is to raise awareness about the various education options available to families, empower parents to find the learning environment that best suits their child’s needs, and help them feel confident in navigating those choices.
For more information, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/events/south-carolina-capitol-celebration
The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We show parents how K–12 school choice can change their children’s lives, and then guide them through the process of finding schools that best meet their children’s needs. Our three charitable programs––National School Choice Week, Navigate School Choice, and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares––raise equal awareness of the public, charter, magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education options available for families. We are nonpolitical and do not advocate for or against legislation at any level of government.
SOURCE National School Choice Week
