Two SC students will be surprised with bikes during a career exploration field trip

10-years and 1.75 million bikes ago Bicycle Corporation of America (BCA) chose Manning, South Carolina as the place to build its manufacturing facility. As the bicycle manufacturing giant celebrates the past, BCA is looking toward the future by welcoming the workforce of tomorrow. On Thursday, February 29 at 2:45 p.m., students in the Manning Junior High School O6 Afterschool program will tour BCA, take part in a hands-on STEM activity, and two hardworking students will be rewarded with bikes to encourage them to continue focusing on academic achievement.

“I couldn’t be happier with my decision to bring bicycle manufacturing back to the United States. The team we have in South Carolina is fantastic and I am incredibly pleased with their commitment to the product,” notes Arnold Kamler, Chairman & CEO of Kent International Inc, the parent company of BCA. Kamler adds “As the largest bicycle factory in the country, we are glad to use our unique position to partner with the O6 Afterschool Program to showcase local career opportunities for our youth.”

The Original Six Foundation’s O6 Afterschool program improves education in rural and
underserved communities by offering elementary and middle school students the opportunity to receive individualized homework assistance with an emphasis placed on interactive learning - particularly in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math (STEAM) after the 3 o’clock bell rings. Through community partnerships, the Original Six exposes students to activities, opportunities, and mentors that challenge them intellectually and boost their self-confidence.

“Workforce development in rural and underserved communities begins with programs like O6 Afterschool and field trips like the one BCA is offering Manning Junior High students,” Original Six Executive Director, Kara Gormley Meador says. “The Original Six believes in the “see it to be it” mentality,” Gormley Meador says. “Many of the students enrolled in O6 Afterschool are not aware of the vast career opportunities that exist in their communities and throughout the state because they have not been introduced to them, the Original Six is working to change that.”

About BCA
OUR MISSION IS TO BRING BICYCLE MANUFACTURING BACK TO AMERICA.
Since opening our doors in 2014, we've created hundreds of good paying jobs for American workers and produced over 1,750,000 bicycles. Our goal is to expand our capabilities and offer more work & more opportunity to the great people of South Carolina. When you buy a BCA bicycle, you're not just getting a great ride. You're helping real people, right here in America. For more information about BCA visit www.bca.bike

About O6
Founded in 2011 by then South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, the Original Six (O6)
Foundation believes children across the Palmetto State deserve a quality education
regardless of where they are born and raised. The Original Six Foundation works to improve education for public school students in rural and underserved communities by identifying gaps and filling them through afterschool and early literacy programs. For more information about the O6 visit originalsixfoundation.org