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Midlands educator wins national award

Eric King has been a teacher at Edisto Elementary for seven years. In 2014, he started the "Brothers Keepers" program, a program that teaches how to be better students in and out of the classroom.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — A Midlands educator has been recognized for a national award.

Eric King has been a teacher at Edisto Elementary for seven years. In 2014, he started the "Brothers Keepers" program, a program that mentors students and teaches them how to be better students in and out of the classroom. 

"We change behavior and build character," King says. "I implement them to dress up every Thursday--shirt and tie, we stay after school from 3 to 5 we do homework, we talk about great behavior hygiene, teach them how to be adults at an early age." 

And this week, King was awarded the National Life Group's Life Changer of the Year award.

”He’s kind of like a father figure for me," says 10-year-old George Frazier, who serves as the president of the program."He does things for me, Mr. King does a lot for me, I love him."

Over the past five years, the program has grown from have 18 boys to over 70. 

"I’ve had students who have made the honor roll for the first time ever because they decided to make the decision to take their education serious, I had parents call me telling me that he’s cleaning his room he taking out the trash.” King said. 

King also says that he is very thankful to be a Life Changer recipient. 

"To see how 'Life Changers' recognized me, in spite of me not posting things  it showed me to teach my boys that people are still watching you, so always display good character, you never know who is watching." 

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