In response to the Education and Economic Development Act of 2005 (EEDA), South Carolina has embarked on an exciting initiative called the South Carolina Course Alignment Project. In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina Technical College System, the project is led by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and facilitated by the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) at the University of Oregon. The purpose of the project is to determine the degree of alignment between high school courses and entry-level college courses with the goal of improving alignment so students may have a seamless transition from secondary to postsecondary education. This first issue of the newsletter includes an overview of the South Carolina Course Alignment Project, Kickoff Meeting report, Environmental Scan summary, and "Next Steps." [Additional contributions to this content were provided by the SC Technical College System and the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC).]