The Town of Irmo recently presented a $30,000 check to the Universal Leadership & STEAM Academy to support employment training, mentorship, and community service opportunities for students ages 13 to 21 in the Irmo area.
The academy provides nutritious meals to more than 300 children each week and partners with childcare centers, summer camps, recreation centers, churches, and nonprofit organizations throughout the community.
“We are grateful for the Town of Irmo’s support, as it will help provide food to children and elderly residents in neighborhoods and apartment complexes where many of our students live,” said Alonzo Johnson, chairman of the academy’s board of directors. “This program creates jobs for our youth and gives them real-world experience.”
Universal Leadership & STEAM Academy is currently working with the Department of Agriculture to build a fully certified commercial kitchen that will meet all food preparation and service standards while providing hands-on culinary training for students.
The academy serves as an Early Head Start provider, participates in SC First Steps 4K, and recently earned credentials to operate as a certified sponsor in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and a provider in the USDA Summer Meals Program.
Mayor Bill Danielson praised the academy’s impact on the community.
“The town feels the academy’s work is very important,” Danielson said. “Their reach and social impact provide unprecedented opportunities for our youth.”
The academy also reported its most successful youth camp to date this past summer, attributing the achievement to increased parental engagement and the enrollment of younger siblings.
