Across the country, leaders are asking an important question: How do we better prepare students for the workforce of today and tomorrow? In Rock Hill Schools, one answer is already in motion.
Back the Pack 360, an initiative of The Foundation for Rock Hill Schools, is a student-led workforce development model embedded within the Logistics & Distribution course at the Applied Technology Center. While the program is widely known for helping ensure students have access to weekend meals, its foundation is rooted in something equally transformative: preparing young people for meaningful careers through real-world experience.
Each semester, high school students enrolled in the course complete more than 140 hours of hands-on workforce training by helping operate a fully functioning logistics system that serves their peers across the district.
Rather than learning about supply chain management in theory, students actively practice it. Participants earn industry-recognized certifications such as OSHA-10, Forklift Operation, Bailer Operation, and Logistics & Distribution credentials. They also receive soft skills training and are now expanding into financial literacy, preparing them not just for a job, but for long-term economic mobility.
Through this experience, students gain exposure to:
- Inventory management
- Warehousing systems
- Distribution planning
- Operational leadership
- Workplace communication and teamwork
They are not completing simulations. They are running a true distribution network.
Students help manage ordering, packing, storage, and delivery systems that operate with the same complexity and accountability found in professional logistics environments. In doing so, they build leadership skills and shape the evolution of the program itself, reinforcing The Foundation’s commitment to student voice and workforce readiness.
“This experience gives students the opportunity to earn functional certifications while developing practical skills through hands-on responsibility,” said Megan Paat, Executive Director of The Foundation for Rock Hill Schools. “They are learning how systems operate, how teams function, and how their contributions can make a meaningful impact.”
This approach reflects a growing national shift toward career-connected learning. Increasingly, workforce leaders are emphasizing the importance of work-based learning, stackable credentials, and early exposure to career pathways that do not rely solely on traditional four-year degrees.
Back the Pack 360 offers exactly that: a real-world, skills-based learning environment that prepares students for careers in logistics, distribution, and supply chain management, industries that continue to grow both regionally and nationally.
An additional outcome of this workforce model is that the student-led distribution system supports more than 600 peers across Rock Hill Schools each week.
By operating the logistics infrastructure, students help ensure weekend meals reach classmates who may otherwise face gaps in access to food. What began years ago as a small effort to support student nutrition has evolved into a comprehensive system that now integrates career readiness, leadership development, and community impact.
As the program expanded, student input helped shape complementary supports such as Care Closets, mobile food pantries, and Protein Packs for student-athletes. These efforts ensure that support is delivered with dignity and discretion, reinforcing the idea that meeting basic needs and preparing students for the future are not separate goals, but interconnected ones. Care Closets allow middle school students to access essential hygiene items in a private, choice-driven environment. Mobile pantries bring after-hours food access directly to families in high-need areas. Protein Packs help student-athletes maintain energy for both academic and athletic performance.
Together, these elements represent more than $200,000 in annual investment focused on helping students engage fully in school and in life.
But at its core, Back the Pack 360 is about more than distributing resources. It is about developing people. Students are gaining the technical and professional skills needed to succeed in high-demand industries while contributing to a system that strengthens their own community.
“The Foundation invites individuals, faith communities, small businesses, and corporate partners to walk alongside us in preparing students for the future,” Paat said. “When we invest in young people’s skills and leadership, we strengthen our entire community.”
Back the Pack 360 demonstrates what is possible when workforce development begins early and when students are trusted as contributors, not just beneficiaries. In Rock Hill, students are not only preparing for the workforce, they are already helping power it.