The Benedict College center

What The Benedict College center does

The B.E.S.T. Lives Center (BLC) is a non-profit educational department within Benedict College, established in 2024 and headquartered at 1903 Two Notch Road, Columbia, South Carolina. Its mission is to provide workforce development and educational programming for underserved populations, with an explicit focus on adult learners, military-affiliated families, former foster care youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, and incarcerated learners. The product portfolio comprises six core programs—Adult Learners, Veterans Resource Center, Former Foster Care Learners, Formerly Incarcerated Learners, Prison Education Program (Second Chance Pell at Broad River and Kershaw Correctional Facilities, awarding B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies and B.S. in Business Administration), and Drone Certification Program—alongside support services including Freedom Circles peer gatherings, a SC Works Connection Point computer lab, and a CAEL-validated Credit Predictor prior-learning assessment.

The technology stack is intentionally minimal rather than proprietary. The drone certification curriculum (88 hours across AIT 200/300/400) is delivered through a partnership with AINautics, a UAS training provider. Prison education is paper-based due to correctional-facility technology restrictions. The Connection Point provides basic computer lab access through a state workforce partnership, and the Credit Predictor is an online intake form hosted at creditpredictor.org rather than a sophisticated platform. No APIs, SDKs, mobile apps, patents, or proprietary software products are disclosed.

Revenue mechanics are dominated by grant funding rather than commercial pricing. The U.S. Department of Labor Community Grant is the primary operational funder (amount undisclosed). Identified incremental grants include $1.3M from Ascendium through Healthy Routines supporting the S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in Prison and a $50,000 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder award over two years plus leadership training. The drone certification program is the only fee-for-service offering, priced at $2,232 (AIT 200), $1,584 (AIT 300), and $1,194 (AIT 400), with limited scholarships available; all other services are free to participants. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven—in-person service delivery at the Columbia hub and at prison sites, supported by open houses, job fairs, expungement workshops, and earned media placements on local TV stations including WIS and WACH Fox News. Distribution relies on referrals from the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Department of Corrections, military installations, and community organizations.

Name

The Benedict College center

Legal name

B.E.S.T. Lives Center

Website

https://blc.benedict.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The B.E.S.T. Lives Center, a 2024-founded non-profit department within Benedict College, delivers workforce development and educational programs for adult learners, military-affiliated families, former foster care youth, formerly incarcerated individuals, and incarcerated students in South Carolina, funded primarily through U.S. Department of Labor grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. U.S. Department of Labor Community Grant: Primary funding source for center operations. The B.E.S.T. Lives Center is funded by a Community Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor supporting workforce development and educational programs for underserved communities.
2. Prison Education Coalition Grant: $1.3 million grant from Ascendium to Healthy Routines supporting the S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, enabling Benedict College to expand prison education efforts and provide post-release support.
3. Bank of America Neighborhood Builder Grant: $50,000 multi-year grant over two years plus leadership training for executive director and emerging leader.
4. Drone Certification Course Fees: Fee-for-service drone training programs. AIT 200 costs $2,232, AIT 300 costs $1,584, and AIT 400 costs $1,194. Limited scholarships available for eligible students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The B.E.S.T. Lives Center is a state-of-the-art learning hub within Benedict College providing comprehensive educational and workforce development programming for underserved communities in South Carolina. It delivers flexible academic pathways for adult learners, support services for military-affiliated individuals, transition assistance for former foster care youth, reentry support and prison education for formerly incarcerated learners, and an FAA Part 107 drone certification program. Its services are primarily grant-funded and offered free to learners, with fee-based drone training as the only direct charge.

Product overview

The B.E.S.T. Lives Center (BLC) is a comprehensive educational and workforce development hub at Benedict College offering multiple integrated programs targeting underserved populations. The center provides Adult Learners Program with flexible scheduling, a Veterans Resource Center for military-affiliated individuals, Former Foster Care and Formerly Incarcerated Learners programs with specialized support services, the Prison Education Program for incarcerated students, and a Drone Certification Program for industry credentials. Additional services include Freedom Circles peer support groups, Connection Point job search facilities, and Credit Predictor tools for experiential learning assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Veterans Resource Center: Assists active-duty military, reservists, retirees, and their dependents with educational needs, enrollment, and financial assistance.
• Extended Learning Services/Adult Learners
• Formerly Incarcerated Citizens Program
• Former Foster Care Program
• Drone Certification Program
• Prison Education Program

Products and services

• Adult Learners Program Provides flexible evening and weekend schedules with a hybrid online/in-class format, adult learning environment, small class sizes, and 8- or 16-week academic terms for non-traditional students seeking degree or non-degree pathways.
• Veterans Resource Center Assists active-duty military, reservists, retirees, and their dependents with educational needs including enrollment, financial assistance, VA/state educational benefits counseling, individualized counseling, and a seamless certification process.
• Former Foster Care Learners Program Coordinates with the South Carolina Department of Social Services to assist students aging out of foster care with accessing campus and community resources, support systems, and financial assistance for collegiate transition.
• Formerly Incarcerated Learners Program Provides pre-release and transitional services, life skills and employment readiness training, expungement workshops, goal setting, digital and financial literacy, and assistance obtaining government-issued credentials for justice-impacted individuals.
• Prison Education Program (Second Chance Pell) Operates at Broad River and Kershaw Correctional Facilities in South Carolina, currently serving 21 incarcerated scholars who can earn a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies or a B.S. in Business Administration, funded through the federal Second Chance Pell Grant.
• Drone Certification Program State-of-the-art drone training in three courses (AIT 200 FAA 107 Certification, AIT 300 Drone Applications & Flight, AIT 400 Drone Software & Capstone) totaling 88 hours, delivered in partnership with AINautics to prepare students for FAA Part 107 certification and UAS industry careers.
• Freedom Circles Safe, supportive gatherings for justice-impacted men and women to share lived experiences and work through emotional, psychological, and practical challenges of reentry.
• Connection Point (SC Works Partnership) First-in-South-Carolina partnership with SC Works providing computer lab access for job searching, unemployment benefits filing, and career services for students and community members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 incarcerated scholars currently enrolled in prison education program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2025Hosted pro bono legal clinic at Business Development Center offering driver license reinstatement, bench warrant resolution, and expungement services.
• Rainy Day FundminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2025Nonprofit helping eliminate financial obstacles for individuals exiting the legal system. Partnered for legal clinics to help with records clearing and barriers to employment.
• SC WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 February 2024Benedict College became the first four-year college in South Carolina to partner with SC Works as a Connection Point. The Connection Point provides computer lab access for job searching, unemployment benefits filing, and career services. SC Works Executive Director William Floyd toured the facility and the college is featured on SC Works website.
• AINauticscoreTechnology or IntegrationNationally recognized leader of drone technology training providing in-person instruction for the drone certification program. Supports industry certifications to prepare students for FAA Part 107 and UAS industry careers.
• South Carolina Department of CorrectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for prison education program at Broad River and Kershaw Correctional Facilities. Provides pre-release and transitional services for formerly incarcerated learners.
• South Carolina Department of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates support for students aging out of foster care system to assist their transition into collegiate life.
• Vera Institute of JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides technical assistance to Second Chance Pell participating colleges and corrections departments, helping ensure quality higher education in prison and post-release.
• Healthy RoutinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbia-based nonprofit providing technical assistance and coordinating academic reentry coordinators for the S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in Prison.
• CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting adult learner prior learning assessment. Benedict College offers credit for prior learning validated by CAEL standards.
• South Carolina Corrections Education AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Vanessa Harris appointed as Post-Secondary Education Representative for 2025-26, working to advance post-secondary education within SC Correctional System.
• S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in PrisonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition including Benedict, Morris College, Claflin University, Voorhees University, Denmark Technical College, Trident Technical College, Northeastern Technical College, Midlands Technical College, and Technical College of the Lowcountry serving over 200 students in prison education programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Morris College: South Carolina HBCU and fellow coalition member in the S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in Prison. Operates adjacent prison education programs to similar underserved populations in the same state.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing employment and education services to people returning home from incarceration. Comparable mission to the B.E.S.T. Lives Center's Formerly Incarcerated Learners Program and Freedom Circles offerings.
• Per Scholas: Nonprofit providing tuition-free technology workforce training to adults from underserved communities. Closely aligned with B.E.S.T. Lives Center's workforce development focus on credentials, employer-aligned skills, and serving non-traditional learners.
• Safer Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit providing education, vocational training, and reentry services to people with criminal records. Comparable model of bundling education with employment-readiness supports for justice-impacted populations.
• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit offering training, internships, and support to young adults from underserved communities. Closest peer to the B.E.S.T. Lives Center's mission of combining education, employer alignment, and wraparound services for non-traditional learners.
• Claflin University: South Carolina HBCU and fellow member of the S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in Prison. Operates a Second Chance Pell program where Dr. Vanessa Harris previously launched the Pathways from Prison Program, making it the most operationally comparable peer to Benedict's prison education offering.
• Voorhees University: South Carolina HBCU and fellow S.C. Coalition for Higher Education in Prison member. Direct peer in serving formerly incarcerated learners via Second Chance Pell and similar reentry support structures.

Others

• AINautics: Core technology partner delivering the drone certification curriculum (AIT 200/300/400). Comparable as an adjacent training provider in UAS workforce development, and direct integration partner for the center's fee-bearing technical program.

Broad incumbents

• Job Corps: Federal workforce development program providing career training and education to low-income young adults across the U.S. Larger-scale incumbent with overlapping mission in workforce credentialing for underserved youth.

Emerging players

• Defy Ventures: Nonprofit providing entrepreneurship training and mentorship to currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Niche overlap with the B.E.S.T. Lives Center's reentry support, though specialized on business formation versus broader education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Benedict College center