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Two teams pitch Palmetto Rose youth entrepreneurship program to North Charleston council
Summary
Two nonprofit and community groups outlined a plan to run a Palmetto Rose youth entrepreneurship program in North Charleston, describing training, job pathways and supports; presenters said the model has produced high parental participation and few police incidents in Charleston.
Two teams seeking to run a youth entrepreneurship program in North Charleston presented to the council and answered questions about curriculum, budget and community partnerships.
Eric Jackson of Community Solutions Consulting described a five‑year program his organization has run in Charleston and said it focuses on entrepreneurship training, uniforms and a formal advisory group that includes the finance office and police department. "We have 100% parent participation, 0 interactions with the police officers because they know all the kids in the program," Jackson said, citing outcomes he said were achieved over five years in Charleston.
A ninth‑grade participant, Macari Singleton, described what the program means to students: "It helps you learn business skills...it kinda helped me during my interview just talking to people and with customer service," he said. Jackson added the program pairs an eight‑week entrepreneurship course with hands‑on selling, resume help and pathways to college or vocational careers.
Presenters said the current program baseline operates on roughly $100,000 a year; Jackson said expanding into North Charleston would require additional supervisors because of the larger service area. Council members pressed for details about funding sources and annual budget items. Jackson said the Charleston program was funded through a multi‑year RFP and that staff perform annual budget reviews and sometimes adjust rates, noting historically a typical 14% annual increase to account for market changes.
Community partners at the Community Resource Center and the Palmetto State Barbers Association described supports they would provide if selected. Lewis Smith and Antonio Rivers said the center can supply uniforms, hygiene products and connections to vocational training, including forklift and mechanical programs and partnerships with local employers.
Council members and public commenters emphasized preserving Gullah/Geechee cultural skills — sweetgrass basketry and palmetto rose making — alongside vocational training. Presenters said cultural skills would continue to be taught while the program adds financial‑literacy and job‑readiness tracks.
The council did not take a vote on a contract at the meeting; the two applicant teams were invited to answer follow‑up questions and the council said it would consider additional details before recommending a selection or next steps.
