One in seven children in the state of South Carolina is not ready for first grade. S.C. First Steps to School Readiness, created in 1999 by the General Assembly, aims to help change that. Locally based early childhood expert, Jessica Shields Flowers of Ripple Effect , has been awarded a contract by S.C. First Steps to be the Lead Coach/Trainer for their Foundations for Learning Project, which aims to improve social and emotional development outcomes in high-risk children from 0-5 years in three Lowcountry counties. Ripple Effect founder Jessica Shields Flowers As the Lead Coach/Trainer, Flowers will implement a curriculum set up by The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). With this position, Flowers will direct the professional development and mental health consultation for this project in the participating counties of Charleston, Horry and Georgetown. The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learnin...