Dabo’s All In Team Foundation has donated $30,000 to Clemson’s Call Me Mister program.

The mission of “Call Me MISTER” is to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background particularly among the State's lowest performing elementary schools. Student participants are largely selected from among under-served, socio-economically disadvantaged and educationally at-risk communities.

Dr. Roy Jones the program director , “On behalf of the entire South Carolina Call Me MISTER community of partners, we are exceedingly grateful for the generous gift of support received from the Dabo and Kathleen Swinney ALL In Foundation. We are equally gratified by your encouragement, faith, confidence, and demonstrated belief in the work we are doing. I am so proud of our partners for their dedication and commitment to insuring our students uphold the standard of excellence, dignity and respect synonymous with the name Call Me MISTER.”

Jones went on to say, “We experienced another great year of accomplishments, including the publication of our book; surpassing 100 fully certified teachers, which increased the number of African American males at the elementary level by fifty percent; and expanded the number of institutional partners to 16, which includes forty percent of all colleges in the State with Teacher Education departments. More importantly, the Misters have distinguished themselves as Champions for children and Educators, who continue to grow in influence. Our sustainability is what the accumulated impact of the All In Foundation has supported over the years.”

Coach Swinney, “I read an article recently that said one-third of all students in South Carolina are African American, yet less than 1 percent of teachers are African American males. Statistics show black males that have had at least one male teacher between pre-K and eighth grade are three times more likely to graduate high school and continue post-secondary education”. Coach added, “Those statistics validate the need and importance of the Call Me Mister Program to the state of South Carolina.”