May 17, 2011

Charleston Digital Corridor Provides Scholarship Funding for Two Local Schools

Charleston Digital Corridor Release

Charleston, SC–- May 17, 2011–- The Charleston Digital Corridor Foundation (CDCF) is pleased to provide scholarship funding for two local academic institutions, the Palmetto Scholars Academy (PSA), South Carolina's first Gifted and Talented Charter School and ECPI College of Technology. Understanding that talent is the key driver of a knowledge economy, the Digital Corridor is following through on its commitment to develop Charleston's technical workforce by choosing PSA and ECPI as beneficiaries of its annual iFive:K race.

Each year, the Digital Corridor holds the iFive:K Run/Walk/Shuffle, Charleston's only weekday, evening race through historic downtown, as both its spring networking event and a fundraiser for the Charleston Digital Corridor Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund was created to educate tomorrow's innovators by providing scholarships, internships, public speaking engagements and other relevant workforce development initiatives.

As part of this year's Digital Corridor Scholarship Award, the Digital Corridor awarded the Palmetto Scholars Academy (PSA) $2,500, which will be earmarked for miscellaneous operational costs for the remainder of the 2010-2011 school year.

"We are very grateful for the generous donation from the Charleston Digital Corridor," says Stacey Lindbergh, Chairman of the Palmetto Scholars Academy Charter Committee. "This is the first of many collaborations between our organizations to help the gifted children of our community meet their academic potential, and help raise South Carolina to new and greater heights."

In addition to collaborating with PSA, the Digital Corridor is also partnering to provide a $1,000 scholarship to two students at ECPI College of Technology, one in Electronics Engineering Technology and one in Network Security. These students have been selected based on academic performance, attendance and an essay judged by Digital Corridor member companies, eGroup, BoomTown and SLANT Media. The 2011 award recipients are Eric Bell and Wesley Boothe. The awards were presented at the ECPI Academics Award ceremony on Monday, May 16 by Amy Lawrence, Program Manager of the Charleston Digital Corridor and ECPI's Charleston Campus President, Mr. James Weaver.

"This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to further the Charleston community by enhancing our native workforce and fostering lasting community relationships," said ECPI's Charleston Campus President, Mr. James Weaver.

The annual iFive:K affords Digital Corridor member companies the opportunity to "actively" network with the Charleston community, while investing in its most important resource–-its workforce.

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**Contact
**Ernest G. Andrade
ernest@charlestondigitalcorridor.com
t: 843-724-3773

**About the Charleston Digital Corridor
**The Digital Corridor is a creative effort to attract, nurture and promote Charleston's knowledge economy through a combination of technology_-_enabled initiatives and business incentives, private business support and member-driven programming. For more information, visit www.charlestondigitalcorridor.com.

**About ECPI College of Technology
**ECPI College of Technology is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award Bachelor of Science, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees. Established in 1966, ECPI is an on-campus and online private college committed to a student-centered collegiate education. ECPI offers instruction in the fields of Computer Technology, Electronics, Health Sciences, Business and Criminal Justice. ECPI has campuses in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, with convenient classes during the day or evening. Graduate employment services are provided, and IT certification classes are also available. For more information, visit www.ecpi.edu.

**About Palmetto Scholars Academy
**Palmetto Scholars Academy (PSA) is a South Carolina Public Charter School that provides differentiated programs designed to meet the educational needs of intellectually gifted learners. Students engage with leading innovative organizations in higher education, business and science, to empower them to make original and impactful contributions toward the elevation of South Carolina in the areas of education, commerce, arts and science. For more information, visit, www.palmettoscholarsacademy.org.