South Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral (SC CCR&R) has received the 2026 South Carolina Project Learning Tree Jerry L. Shrum Leadership in Education Award. The organization was selected by the South Carolina PLT Steering Committee in July.
SC CCR&R has been an exemplary leader in advancing environmental education for young children through its longstanding partnership with Project Learning Tree, developing a network of certified PLT facilitators, embedding “Trees & Me” into ongoing coaching services and maintaining strong partnerships with the SC PLT Steering Committee and other state organizations. This long-term commitment has created lasting capacity for environmental education and strengthened PLT’s impact throughout the state’s early childhood system.
“SC CCR&R is honored to be receiving this award. The ‘Trees & Me’ training has allowed our Quality Coaches to deliver impassioned curriculum about the importance of outdoor learning environments to a wide variety of providers throughout the state. Our providers connect deeply with this curriculum and utilize it to provide even higher quality care. We’re grateful that through our partnership with PLT, we can expand environmental learning and stewardship amongst South Carolina’s early childhood community,” said Melissa McDonald, Director & Principal Investigator of South Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral.
Since partnering with PLT in 2021, SC CCR&R has trained 22 quality coaches as certified PLT “Trees & Me” facilitators. Through this network, SC CCR&R has delivered 56 hours of “Trees & Me” professional development, training 331 early childhood educators from childcare centers and family childcare homes across South Carolina. SC CCR&R has also served on the SC PLT Steering Committee for more than four years, helping guide statewide planning, strengthen partnerships and expand the reach of environmental education.
SC CCR&R has made environmental education relevant and accessible for the early childhood workforce by integrating “Trees & Me” into high-quality professional development aligned with the South Carolina Department of Education’s Early Learning Standards. The organization has provided “Trees & Me” curriculum and professional development at no cost to educators participating in SC Endeavors-registered workshops through SC PLT grant funding, removing financial barriers while equipping teachers with practical, developmentally appropriate strategies to connect young children with nature.
The organization has expanded equitable access to PLT by serving educators in childcare centers and family childcare homes across diverse urban, suburban and rural communities throughout South Carolina. By eliminating curriculum costs, offering statewide professional development and providing individualized coaching, SC CCR&R has ensured that educators serving children from a wide range of backgrounds have access to high-quality environmental education resources.
SC CCR&R has also promoted PLT through six statewide conference exhibits and outreach events, including conferences hosted by the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC), the South Carolina Early Childhood Association (SCECA) and SC CCR&R statewide conferences, increasing awareness among hundreds of additional early childhood professionals. Nationally, SC CCR&R contributed to the 2025 National PLT Conference Planning Team and helped facilitate a pre-conference “Trees & Me” educator training, demonstrating leadership that advances PLT's mission in South Carolina and beyond.
