Hamilton Career and Technology Center

Oct 5, 2021 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

By Carson LeCroy

Hamilton Career and Technology Center

The Hamilton Career and Technology Center, located in Oconee County, strives to live up to it’s slogan, “Discovering Passion, Finding Purpose.” We serve the high school students in the School District of Oconee County and have 1027 students enrolled this school year. The students spend half of their day on our campus, taking one of our 24 different course offerings that prepare students for many different types of business and industry. Our courses also pave the way for students to continue their education at Tri-County Technical College or another post-secondary institution.  Our tremendous faculty, composed of traditionally trained educators and teachers coming from actual industry, work hard to provide students with authentic learning opportunities to prepare them for the workforce or post-secondary education.

Our goal is to have every student that completes one of our programs to be a  “college or career ready” student and have work based experience or an industry-recognized credential in their pocket when they graduate. A career-ready “completer” is a student who completes a course of study worth six credits or more. That is over 700 hours of classroom time learning technical and career based skills that will directly impact a bountiful workforce in Oconee County and the Upsate!

Another proud program at the Hamilton Career and Technology Center is our Transition Program.  Our Transition Program serves students that receive specialized education and teaches them life skills and career skills, in order to live a fulfilling, independent life.  These students run a school based restaurant, The Considerate Cafe. The restaurant is open to the public on Fridays from 11-1:00, and the students operate every facet of the restaurant, including serving up favorites like meat and three or barbacoa tacos.

The following is a list of courses offered at HCTC:

• Building Construction
• Architectural Design
• Mechanical Design
• Graphic Communications
• Marketing Communications
• Marketing Management
• Early Childhood Education
• Emergency Medical Services
• Health Science
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• PLTW Biomedical Sciences
• Sports Medicine
• Culinary Arts
• Cosmetology
• Computer Programming
• AP Computer Science
• Law Enforcement
• Machine Tool Technology
• Welding Technology
• PLTW Pre-Engineering
• Auto Collision Repair Technology
• Automotive Technology
• Employability Education Courses
• Independent Living Skills

This is the Hamilton Career and Technology Center’s second year at our new campus on Highway 11 in Westminster. The state of the art facility includes a one-of-a-kind paint booth in auto collision, over 20 CNC tooling machines, and a replica hospital wing for nursing students, just to name a few.  One new and unique opportunity at the Hamilton Career and Technology Center is the upcoming Emergency Communications course. The Hamilton Career and Technology Center has partnered with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office to create a fully functional 911/dispatch room that will serve as the Sheriff’s Office official backup.  Our law enforcement instructor will teach a course that will end in a Certification test for students to pursue a career in dispatch after graduation if they wish.  The Hamilton Career and Technology Center is thankful to partner with the Sheriff’s Office, as well as the many other businesses that provide equipment, shadowing, and work-based learning opportunities for our students. Want to get involved and learn more information about taking on a “work-based learner” at your business? Please reach out to us!

Hamilton Career and Technology Center

4454 Oconee Business Parkway

Westminster, SC 29693

864-886-4425

Website: hctc.sdoc.org

Instagram and Twitter: @HCTCoconee

Facebook: Hamilton Career and Technology Center

Mental Health and COVID-19

Oct 4, 2021 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

Mental Health and COVID-19

By Megan Rogers, Director of Business Development for The Carolina Center

We are almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic and there is no doubt that it has had a major effect on almost all aspects of our lives. Many of us are facing extreme challenges emotionally, socially and financially that can lead to overwhelming stress. Persistent isolation can also increase stress and anxiety, especially in those who are already vulnerable.

A crisis is growing in mental health as the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic hardship it has brought affects many across the nation. A June 2020 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of 5412 US adults found that 40.9% of respondents reported “at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition,” including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and substance abuse, with rates that were 3 to 4 times the rates 1 year earlier.¹ Remarkably, 10.7% of respondents reported seriously considering suicide in the last 30 days.¹

People who have had the virus may still be feeling the physical effects and may be depressed with survivor syndrome, which can include guilt and elements of PTSD. Many who never had a mental health condition before contracting COVID now may be struggling mentally as a result of facing new limits on activity levels or they may be feeling concerned about their long-term health.

COVID-19 has also presented unique challenges for people with substance use disorders and for those who are in recovery. The pandemic has presented enormous challenges for these individuals, as evidenced by significant increases in drug use since March of 2020. Some people with no history of addiction may have turned to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate and deal with increased stress and anxiety.

As we continue to grapple with these challenges, it stands to reason that the increased stress and impact on mental health has spilled into the workplace as well, affecting employee productivity and job satisfaction.

So, how can employers support their workers?

• Open the door. Ask employees how they are doing. While some may not be comfortable with such an open conversation, more than 40% of employees report that they would like their manager to approach the topic.² And it’s not a conversation to outsource to HR. When people were asked to rank who they were willing to talk to about mental health concerns, peers and managers came in at the top of the list.
• Ensure that employees’ needs are met — make sure they have access to personal protective equipment, transportation and other resources to do their jobs. This level of support increases confidence and job satisfaction.
• Provide clear communication to employees and supervisors about expectations, support resources and new policies that respond directly to impacts created by the pandemic. This reduces uncertainty at work, which is a major contributor to employee stress.
• Supervisors should not expect work to continue at the same level as before. Creating this expectation can lead to employee burn-out. Instead, help employees prioritize what work is critical and what can wait. Employers also should emphasize that using sick leave applies whether someone isn’t feeling well physically or mentally.
• Communicate available resources. Make sure you are very clear about the mental health resources available to everyone at your company. Employees who said their company has proactively shared how to access mental health resources are more likely to feel that their company cares about their wellbeing.

Unfortunately, we will all shoulder the effects of this pandemic for the foreseeable future. If we support each other and approach these challenges with empathy and an open mind, perhaps we can make some things a little easier.

The Carolina Center for Behavioral Health is here to help. Located off Interstate 85 and Hwy 14 in Greer, we offer inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and substance use disorder treatment options for adolescents, adults and senior adults. If you or someone you know is having a hard time coping with the mental health effects of the pandemic, we are here to help. We offer no-cost assessments 24/7. Visit us at thecarolinacenter.com or call 864-235-2335 to learn more.

 

1. Czeisler  MÉ, Lane  RI, Petrosky  E,  et al.  Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic: United States, June 24-30, 2020.
2. Smith, R. (2020, May 1). How CEOs Can Support Employee Mental Health in a Crisis. Retrieved September 2020, from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2020/05/how-ceos-can-support-employee-mental-health-in-acrisis

The Campbell Kids – Walking to End Alzheimer’s

Sep 20, 2021 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

Written by Perry Henderson, VP of Sales & Marketing at Anderson Dahlen, Inc.

Our family, like so many, has experienced the pain and struggle that comes when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. This terrible reality hits nearly every family at some point.  Whether you are the one with it, caring for a loved one who has it, or dealing with it in a less direct way… it’s a unrelenting enemy that takes away our minds, our time, and our health.  Which is why our family remains committed to raising awareness and funding to help those struggling against this disease, or caring for someone they love who is in the fight.  And we will continue supporting this cause until we have a cure!

And until we have that cure, we walk…

The Alzheimer’s Association works on many fronts, with dedicated individuals and teams working to fight for a cure, and to help individuals and caregivers.  WALK To End Alzheimer’s is where my family, in particular my mom and her sisters (The Campbell Kids), began getting involved.  In her own words, this is why she walks:

As you know, Alzheimer’s took my brother, Carroll, from us at a very early time in life. He was only in his late 50’s when he began to show signs and died 5 years after his diagnosis. He didn’t have a fighting chance! There are no survivors of Alzheimer’s ……not yet! We are walking to change that! With advanced research, our dreams can and will come true….an end to Alzheimer’s!

There are now many, many walk events all over the country being organized and promoted through the efforts of caring individuals and amazing communities.  My community includes some amazing people at Riverside Tennis Club in Greer where we were able to be a sponsor at their recent tournament.  The owners, Alison and Ray Frazier, have been extremely supportive, and so many of the members have generously donated as well as registered to walk.

I recall Greenville’s initial Walk being a small group of “walkers” at Rolling Green Village, and I had pulled my oldest boys in a wagon.  They are now 19 and 20 years of age.  Like them, the events have grown.  Greenville’s walk is now dozens of teams and thousands of individuals.  It’s hosted at the Greenville Drive stadium and the route is through downtown.  It’s a great way to raise awareness in our great town… and it’s a great way for people struggling with the disease or the difficulties of caring someone who is, often in isolation, to realize there is a loving and caring community around them.

Sometimes I think that the most important thing for the caregivers is for them to realize the love and support that others offer them.  They are not alone in this fight and their loved ones are honored and celebrated through this WALK annually.

If you would like to join us in this fight, please consider giving to and participating in the Walk To End Alzheimer’s in Greenville on Saturday, October 2.  The Campbell Kids will be walking in honor of our family members and friends impacted by Alzheimer’s.  We’d love for you to join us.

Please click here for info on donating + participating:

2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Greenville, SC: Campbell Kids | Walk to End Alzheimer’s

The Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina

Sep 20, 2021 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

Written by Josh Johnson

The Bart Garrison Agricultural Museum of South Carolina, located in Pendleton, SC, is a comprehensive and innovative historic preservation and museum site. We are a different kind of museum because our motto is “get their hands in the dirt.”  We firmly believe that agriculture connects people to the land and to a sense of place.  South Carolina has a long agricultural history and culture, from Cherokee farmers to tenant farming, to modern-day fields monitored by drones. Through it all, South Carolina has remained an agrarian state with a people connected to the Earth.  Our exhibits are more than just static fixtures hidden behind glass.

Initially a small space with exhibits representing the history and future of South Carolina agriculture, the museum opened its doors to the public in June 2013. Since then, it has grown into the state agricultural museum for South Carolina, with indoor and outdoor exhibits, monthly educational programs, tours, preserved structures including a Pee Dee tobacco barn and an early 20th-century schoolhouse, and a large collection of historic tractors.

Named for the son of the late Senator T. Ed and Juanita Garrison, who died tragically in a farm-related accident in 1990, BGAMSC has always been committed to preserving the agrarian culture of SC that he represented so well. Our goal is to showcase the culture and learn about the future by looking at the past.  If we can spark curiosity about agriculture in a child, or send an adult home with a new-found skill such as canning, then we have done our job.

The Museum also serves as a base of operations for South Carolina’s Century Farm Program, a statewide program that celebrates South Carolina farms that have been in the same family for more than one hundred years. As of 2021 more than 500 farms are in our database, a number that grows larger every year.

Our parent organization, Lake Hartwell Country, is a regional tourism and historic preservation office for the state of South Carolina that covers Anderson, Oconee, and Pickens Counties. Since 1966, Lake Hartwell Country has preserved artifacts in our archives, saved numerous buildings and cultural sites from decay and destruction, and marketed to visitors who come to see and enjoy the natural beauty of our area. Led by Executive Director Les McCall and supported by grant-writer Andrew Stevenson and the BGAMSC staff, Lake Hartwell Country’s focus is a dual mission of preserving our priceless Appalachian history and culture, as well as one of economic development through tourism in our region.

Our most recent structural addition, the Iron Oak Barn, completed in 2020, serves as our event center. Originally the McGee family mule barn, located in Starr, South Carolina, the barn has quickly grown into a major venue for our region, perfect for reunions, weddings, and parties. The barn has already attracted over 5,000 people since its debut and even plays host to our yearly Farm Day, an annual celebration of local farmers, crafters, demonstrators, and a wide variety of vendors.

Now more than ever, our museum team is dedicated to bringing the community together, be it in Pendleton or across the state. Museum Educator Jordan Bannister delights in giving tours and educating those that come into the museum. Site Coordinator Josh Johnson can often be seen at festivals, fairs, and craft shows bringing our mechanical milking cow Clarabelle and other vintage farm equipment to kids and adults alike. On the first and third Saturdays of every month, the museum is proud to offer a live blacksmith demonstration with Master Blacksmith Griz Hockwalt, and the second Saturday of each month features a combination of nature and historic walking trail along with the museum’s property in a partnership with Woodburn Historic House. At the forefront of these initiatives is the mission of bringing history into the present while also discussing the future of agriculture in our state. We are very proud of the work we have been doing here and look forward to sharing that experience with you.