Healthy Learners is a South Carolina-based social services organization that primarily provides health care-related services to economically disadvantaged children and families throughout South Carolina. The group was founded as a part of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine’s Health System in 1992 with funding from the Duke Endowment. The organization provides programs and services, including vision and dental care, mental and behavioral health, and Medicaid application assistance. The organization has received funding from the Self Family Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Foundation, and the South Carolina Department of Education. The group was also one of 465 nonprofits that received a total of $3.8 billion in grants from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, in March 2022. ^{1 2}

Background and History

Healthy Learners was formed in 1992 through a grant from the Duke Endowment to the Sisters of Charity Providence Hospital system in South Carolina to start a program called Health Reach that initially served five inner-city schools in Richland, South Carolina. In 1995, Health Reach transitioned from Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals to a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health Systems. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women within the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, founded in the 1850s and centered around providing health, education, and social services. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine founded the Sisters of Charity Health System in 1982, which began operating hospitals in Ohio and South Carolina. ^{3 4}

The Health Reach program expanded into additional school districts in the 1990s and in 1999 established an advisory board. The program changed its name from Health Reach to Healthy Learners in 2000. In 2002, Healthy Learners received a “substantial” three-year grant from the Duke Endowment to expand the program’s activity to 17 additional elementary schools. ³

Activity

Healthy Learners’ activities are divided into four regions in South Carolina: Midlands, Pee Dee, Low Country, and Upstate. The group reports assisting over 3,500 students annually, with the majority being elementary school students. The group’s vision and dental services account for approximately 80 percent of the group’s services. Other services provided by the group include medication, Medicaid assistance, and treatment for hearing and asthma. ⁵

The group states that it primarily serves “school-aged children from low-income families who face barriers to accessing health care” and that “eligibility may vary based on specific programs or locations.” ⁶

Funding

Funders of Healthy Learners include the Duke Endowment, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, the Self Family Foundation, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Foundation, the South Carolina Department of Education, United Way of the Midlands, the Yawkey Foundation, the Center for Rural and Primary Health Care, the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation, the Dorothy D. Smith Charitable Foundation, the Leon Levine Foundation, the Darnell Committee, Dominion Energy, Aflac, and Nelson Mullins. ²

Healthy Learners is one of 465 nonprofits that received a total of $3.8 billion in grants from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, in March 2022 as part of her distribution of billions of dollars in grants to left-of-center organizations and community groups. ¹

1. Scott, MacKenzie. “Helping Any of Us Can Help Us All.” Medium. December 14, 2022. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/helping-any-of-us-can-help-us-all-f4c7487818d9
2. “2024 Annual Report.” Healthy Learners. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://healthylearners.com/who-we-are/annual-report/
3. “History.” Healthy Learners. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://healthylearners.com/who-we-are/history/
4. “Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine.” Sisters of Charity Health System. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://www.sistersofcharityhealth.org/about/sisters-of-charity-of-st-augustine/
5. “Our Impact.” Healthy Learners. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://healthylearners.com/what-we-do/our-impact/
6. “FAQ.” Healthy Learners. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://healthylearners.com/faq-page/