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HTC - Partners in 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.

It is with great pride that HTC serves Horry County Schools as a Partner in Education. Through the Partners in Education program with Horry County Schools, HTC can provide valuable and lasting contributions for students, teachers, businesses and the community.

For more information on HTC educational programs, contact Nicole Hyman at (843) 369-8498.

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.

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. Bags containing school supplies such as rulers, pencils, pencil bags, erasers and more are available for students (no purchase necessary).

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 2011 campaign kicked off on March 14. The goal was for each partnering school to collect a total of 2011 directories and cell phones. The project will ran through May 2, 2011. HTC awarded 1st ($2,500 value), 2nd ($1,000 value) and 3rd place ($500 value) technology prizes in two categories:  1) the schools that recycled the most directories, and 2) the schools that recycled the most directories based on the number of students in those schools.

The HTC RECYCLING 2011 campaign results are astounding with 66 public and private schools in Horry and Georgetown Counties recycling over 40,500 directories and conserving valuable space in the local landfill.  Participating schools also recycled 568 old cell phones allowing HTC to donate $521 to the Horry County Schools’ fund for homeless students.

Over the last 13 years, HTC has contributed more than $119,061 needed by participating and winning schools to purchase new technology in the classroom.  Special thanks to the recycling partners that make this program possible including the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, Wendy’s, Burroughs & Chapin, and Auntie Anne’s.

These schools recycled the largest number of directories:   

• 1st Place ($2,500 value) St. Michael Catholic School (8,913 directories recycled)
• 2nd Place ($1,000 value) Conway Elementary (3,566 directories recycled)
• 3rd Place ($500 value) Pee Dee Elementary (2,926 directories recycled)

These schools recycled the most directories based on the number of students in the school: 

• 1st Place ($2,500 value) Holy Trinity Catholic School (6,690 directories recycled with 29 students)
• 2nd Place ($1,000 value) Grace Christian School (1,018 directories recycled with 51 students)
• 3rd Place ($500 value) Burgess Elementary School (1,825 directories recycled with 610 students)

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.

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.

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 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.