The Children’s Museum of the Upstate – Spartanburg

Dec 13, 2022 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

The Children’s Museum of the Upstate (TCMU) began as the dream of a group of mothers who were committed to creating a world-class, play-based learning space for young children in the Upstate region of South Carolina. That dream became a reality when the Greenville location opened in 2009.

Today, TCMU offers two locations, one in Greenville and Spartanburg, that together provide exceptional educational experiences to over 200,000 visitors annually. Guided by a mission of igniting a community of compassionate problem solvers through intentional and inclusive play, TCMU was also the first children’s museum to be recognized as a Smithsonian Affiliate.

In 2017, community leaders in Spartanburg, SC felt the community needed an intentional space designed to support early childhood development and Kindergarten readiness. With significant community support, TCMU-Spartanburg opened in May 2018. This museum location houses 6,000 square feet of exhibit and learning space designed to support children ages 0-6.

For those who have never visited TCMU-Spartanburg, when you enter the white brick building on Magnolia Street, you immediately enter a space full of color, unique play structures and a profound sense of joy and wonder. Most young children make a beeline for Duke Energy’s Treehouse, an exhibit that allows children to climb into a tall tree and learn about the ecosystem of South Carolina. They might then head to the Spartanburg Regional Health Center and play ‘doctor’ with the life-size operation table. Imaginative play is encouraged throughout all of TCMU-Spartanburg’s immersive exhibits–as children imagine themselves as medical professionals or pretend to check out groceries at the nearby Farm to Table Fun market. This type of play builds important social and developmental skills, in an exciting way for young learners.

As you make your way to the museum’s lower level, you will hear water splashing at the Spartanburg Water tables. Children can fill up buckets, spray water and tinker with boats at this hands-on exhibit. It is certainly a family favorite! For families with children under 1, spaces on both floors provide soft cushions for crawling and playing with toys. These areas provide prompts that display the Palmetto Basics–practical skills such as “Talk, Sing & Point” or “Explore through Movement & Play”. These are key ways for parents to help encourage brain growth–of which 80% occurs before the age of 3–and help foster school readiness.

Families can also participate in free programming through Open Art, Story Time & More and the museum’s think-tank lab, steamWORKS Jr. These offerings are designed to excite young minds through deeper engagement and intentional learning opportunities. Every week, TCMU staff centers programming around a theme–with some favorites of the past year being, Scientific Senses and Whimsical Weather.

New this year, TCMU-Spartanburg launched Pop-Up Classrooms. These classes were structured to teach rising Kindergarteners (3K-5K) important skills for the classroom, such as raising their hand, or using their inside voice. Each session focused on a different skill and provided engaging activities in a classroom-style setting. Through a generous grant from South Carolina First Steps, young learners also took home free books every week during the 10-week program.

TCMU-Spartanburg also welcomed over 1,300 guests to four family events in 2022. Countdown to Kindergarten was hosted on August 5, in conjunction with a statewide celebration. This is a free annual event that celebrates the start of Kindergarten. The event invited local partners to provide resources for families about early childhood education, back-to-school habits and a variety of other information. Children participated in activities geared at building fine motor skills–such as how to carry a lunch tray and how to get on a school bus!

Additionally, TCMU-Spartanburg hosted three seasonal events – BunnyBurg on April 16, Trick-or-Treat on October 29 and World WONDERLand on December 10. These events offered a special moment to celebrate each season and engage in creative and festive crafts and activities in a unique space.

Beyond the museum’s walls, TCMU-Spartanburg widely extended its efforts into the greater Spartanburg and Upstate community. With support from the Foundation for the Carolina’s Longleaf Fund, TCMU-Spartanburg’s On-the-Go program brought its educational programming to various community events, schools and libraries–meeting families where they live, work and play. Specific outreach efforts in 2022 included the BMW Charity Pro-AM, The Spartanburg Soaring! International Kite Festival and Dickens of a Christmas. TCMU-Spartanburg has served over 2,500 individuals through these efforts and is excited to extend this reach even farther in 2023, with the help of a newly awarded grant from the Mary Black Foundation.

At the onset of 2022, TCMU rallied behind the mantra “Big Plans, Bright Futures.” We set out to open new exhibits, provide exceptional experiences through programming and events, encourage Kindergarten readiness and expand our offerings to communities in need. Because of the support of incredible community partners, returning member families, new visitors, and a team of dedicated board and staff members, 2022 has been a big year of many bright highlights for TCMU-Spartanburg.

As we look towards 2023, our work continues in creating bright futures for children across the Upstate. We know that the intentional encouragement of young minds can positively impact the future of our community, and TCMU seeks to provide these meaningful learning opportunities. Together, we can help foster the dreams of our community’s future thinkers, creatives, leaders & change-makers.

USC Upstate

Dec 13, 2022 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

If post-high school education opens doors of opportunity and advancement, shouldn’t we make sure it’s accessible to everyone? This belief is the driving force behind the USC Upstate Greenville Campus, located at the University Center of Greenville.

And if we are going to make education accessible, we have to meet students where they are. Twenty percent of adults in the Upstate have some college experience but no degree. For whatever reason—work, finances, family, health, COVID—they halted their education.

A team of USC Upstate faculty and staff was formed with the purpose of understanding the reasons so many students “stopped out.” They identified the major barriers to higher education for adults and created programs at the Greenville Campus to address them.

1. Adults have work and family obligations. Greenville programs are hybrid or fully online so you can keep working while you study. Students who come in with an associates degree can enter USC Upstate Greenville as a junior, but any student with any level of credits can benefit from degree completion programs.
2. Career advancement is a hurdle if you don’t have a credential. At the end of the day, the employee with a degree or certificate is going to win out over the one who doesn’t. Because you also need to keep working to keep your career on track, Greenville’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees are hybrid and online. USC Upstate faculty are also building certificate and training programs to fit the demands of local industry.
3. It can be challenging/intimidating/confusing (insert whatever word you’re feeling here) to go back to school as an adult. With that in mind, the Greenville campus includes all the one-on-one advising and academic support you’ll need, with a team experienced in working with adults. You won’t feel out of place.
4. Education is expensive. Financial aid and scholarships aren’t just for teens coming out of high school, and USC Upstate tuition rates are extremely competitive. Online programs also include condensed semesters, so you earn your degree quicker. Less time toward a degree equals less cost.

While one of the driving forces of the Greenville Campus is reengaging students who have stopped out of school, adults who have earned an associates degrees and want to grow their careers can also benefit by entering into a bachelor’s degree program as a junior.

And Greenville staff want to partner with Upstate businesses. Partnerships could include easy pathways for employees to use tuition credits, on-site college advising for employees, the creation of certificates and trainings to fit organizational needs, and even academic cohorts if there are enough employees who want to have an in-person class together.

Education should be accessible to everyone. USC Upstate is listening to what community members need and finding solutions. Economic mobility and workforce readiness are hot topics for everyone right now. We can—and will—address both issues with more equitable access to education.

One Spartanburg

Dec 13, 2022 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

By Allen Smith
President & CEO, OneSpartanburg, Inc.

Spartanburg has a lot to celebrate.

In 2021, Spartanburg County was ranked the #1 Small Metro in the U.S. for Economic Growth, and the  #4 Metro overall, by Stessa, a tool specializing in property information for real estate investors and  developers. The county’s prowess was clear in the rankings, as Spartanburg ranked behind only three  Midsize Metros — Huntsville, Ala., Sarasota, Fl., and Port St. Lucie, Fl. — and ahead of every Large Metro  included in the analysis.

2022 further cemented Spartanburg’s success, as the County soared past the $2-billion mark in new economic investment, including a historic $1.7 billion investment from BMW Group.

The German automaker with a 30-year presence in Spartanburg County will spend $1 billion on upgrades and infrastructure at BMW Plant Spartanburg, its largest by-volume in the world, in preparation of manufacturing six fully-electric vehicles. In addition, a $700-million electric-vehicle battery-assembly plant will be built in Woodruff, in the southern part of Spartanburg County.

Proving Spartanburg as a hub for the future of mobility, the announcement comes on the heels of a $2.98-billion order from the United States Postal Service for Next Generation Delivery Vehicles, to be made in Spartanburg by newcomer Oshkosh Defense.

Despite its undeniable success in advanced manufacturing, Spartanburg claims it is just getting started.

The OneSpartanburg Vision Plan, a five-year countywide community and economic development strategy launched in 2017, set Spartanburg’s sights on a more diversified economy. OneSpartanburg, Inc., the Carolinas only consolidated business, economic, and tourism development entity, created the plan with reams of data and community input. Now under the OneSpartanburg Vision Plan 2.0, the collaborative continues to drive recommendations in talent, economy, and place.

Recognizing the impact of quality of place on a community’s ability to attract corporate jobs and talented people, Spartanburg is making significant investments.

The Daniel Morgan Trail System, known as The Dan, will soon unite more than 50 miles of trails across Spartanburg County, with intentional connections to living hubs, blueways, and a recently completed connection through Downtown Spartanburg.

Leading trail development nonprofit PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well, is working to purchase and convert a portion of the Saluda Grade. When complete, the 31-mile Saluda Grade Rail Trail connecting western North Carolina to Spartanburg County on the steepest grade rail trail in the U.S. is sure to attract investment and people from across the country.

Another amenity catching attention is Main Street-Morgan Square, Downtown Spartanburg’s central gathering space which begun its transition to a pedestrianized area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Developers have raved over the concept of a European-style square with space for outdoor dining and strategic programming. Investors, companies and residents alike have found Downtown Spartanburg increasingly attractive.

This year alone, Downtown Spartanburg announced more than $86-million of mixed-use investment on Main Street, two new Class-A office buildings, and the attraction of three high growth headquarters.

Plans for a planetarium downtown are even in the works. The science-and education-fueled facility would be built next door to the Spartanburg County Headquarters Library, creating an enlarged space for educational programming for local families.

Work outlined by the OneSpartanburg Vision Plan 2.0 will have significant impact on two key areas fueling Spartanburg County’s future: tourism development and talent attraction and retention.

Some of that work has already begun.

Fueled by data included processes used to create the Vision Plan 2.0, OneSpartanburg, Inc. created two new positions that will lead crucial countywide strategies impacting the county’s population, workforce, and economy.

Leading talent-related recommendations will be Chief Talent Officer Jeremy Vince. Vince will work closely with community partners and employers to address various talent attraction, development, and retention needs with an eye toward data. In addition, he is leading a countywide Talent Gap Analysis to determine current and future needs.

Data also showed that small and minority business ownership lagged across Spartanburg County, so the Vision Plan 2.0 will lead to a strategy in partnership with the City of Spartanburg, Spartanburg County, and other business and workforce entities countywide.

Jay Jenkins, who has extensive experience working with small-and minority-owned businesses across the region, will serve as Director of Small and Minority Business Development to ensure small-and minority-owned businesses are part of the overall economic success story of Spartanburg County.

Spartanburg continues leading South Carolina in investment total and job creation, earning national and international acclaim for its business, economic, and tourism development success.

Ensuring as many people benefit from this success is an important goal of not only the Vision Plan 2.0, but a host of collaborative-minded organizations across Spartanburg County.

As those key partners continue their diligent work to improve Spartanburg into the future, new investments from around the globe will continue to choose the county for many of the reasons outlined here. And our success would not be possible without the continued investment, resources, and influence of public and private sector partners.

After an incredible 2021 and a momentous 2022, 2023 promises big things for Spartanburg.

Piedmont Agency on Aging

Nov 30, 2022 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

Piedmont Agency on Aging’s mission is to help our local senior citizens remain independent, stronger, and in their homes longer. We are a private, non-profit, 501 © 3 organization, serving the Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens and Saluda areas of South Carolina. Our services include Meals on Wheels, congregate nutrition centers, and a transportation program, which provides rides to medical appointments, essential shopping and to our senior centers. Meals on Wheels provides daily, home-delivered meals to individuals in need of proper nutrition. Piedmont Agency on Aging is the primary Meals on Wheels provider in the Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens and Saluda County communities. Meals on Wheels will either provide a hot, frozen, or shelf stable meal to frail and vulnerable seniors in these areas. On a daily basis, we serve over 850 meals out of our nutrition center in Greenwood. Our meals are prepared daily in our own commercial kitchen. We do not use an outside catering service to supply our meals.

Our agency works well as a unit among the staff involving local businesses and individuals to volunteer to deliver meals and our own transportation department in transporting meals when necessary. Most of these individuals receive visits daily from volunteers. Through our programming we increase senior’s ability to remain independent and at home for as long as possible and delays long term care treatment.  Our programs provide a low-cost, community-based service that makes a huge difference in the lives of our communities’ older citizens and their families.

The agency also operates the first Intergenerational Child Care Center in South Carolina, Lifetime Discoveries Daycare as well as a Foster Grandparent program in each county.  Lifetime Discoveries provides childcare for children between the ages of 1 – 13.  The children share space and interact with senior adults within our program.  The Foster Grandparent program allows senior adults to be placed in schools to help tutor and nurture children development and learning.

The agency is supported by approximately 300 active volunteers.  The majority of these volunteers deliver meals or work alongside staff in our senior centers. Our agency employees over 65 employees. .  We drive between 11,000 – 12,000 miles a month.

Piedmont Agency on Aging has proven to have strong ties in our community with its 51-year history.  Since its beginning in 1971, Piedmont went from serving the two counties of Greenwood and Abbeville to later expand to Laurens and Saluda Counties.  The agency is supported through state and local funds.  Donations are essential to help offset the cost of fund and gas, that is not fully supported through state funding.  Individuals can always give of their time by delivering Meals on Wheels in the community they live.

The Brew – Anderson

Nov 15, 2022 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

In 2015, the City of Anderson staff knew that entrepreneurism was on the rise in the community, but these emerging business owners needed a space to collaborate, connect, and rejuvenate. Often, being a small business owner can be isolating, and finding solutions to problems can seem like a daunting task. One Million Cups, a Kauffman Foundation national program, was born to support entrepreneurism in Anderson and foster community within the business realm. The program took an ordinary Wednesday morning and turned it into a signature time to reflect, connect, and spark business success! In 2019, the City of Anderson staff was encouraged to reimagine the program with a hyperlocal approach, one that would best serve Anderson business owners and their needs. The Brew was born from a collaboration of local business owners and City officials, marking the beginning of a signature program that would impact many communities across the state of South Carolina.

With a focus on the Anderson area, The Brew serves as a time for entrepreneurs to share their struggles, successes, and brainstorm together, finding common ground along the way. Our motto is “Business Ideas with Community Feedback.” Each week, an entrepreneur presents their business, explaining why they started the business, what products or services they offer, and then end their 10-minute presentation with a few questions seeking the audience’s feedback. These questions must involve a challenge they are facing or an area in which they want to grow their business. Questions vary from topics as small as increasing foot traffic to overcoming negative connotations about their industry. The audience then helps the business owner come up with solutions and creative ideas to overcome the challenges at hand. Even though someone is not speaking about their business every week, much is to be learned from other’s failures and successes. No one is there to sell but everyone is there to help! It is collaboration at its core, and many innovative ideas have been birthed on Wednesday mornings over coffee and conversation at The Brew.

                The success of The Brew was infectious, and soon neighboring communities started to hear about the program that was rocking Anderson’s entrepreneurial scene. Other communities began adopting the program, making it their own and enjoying the success of the program once started to serve Anderson business owners. After two years, the program is hosted in 8 communities in South Carolina, and looking to gain traction in future markets! It is a free program waiting to be adopted by other cities interested in making a splash in their entrepreneurial scene. It is completely free to start a Brew community, and a great way to provide genuine networking without the awkward shaking of hands and exchanging of business cards. Wednesday mornings are electrified in all 8 communities due to The Brew!

                Providing a space for creativity and entrepreneurism to flourish has led to new business endeavors, changing of business models, rebrands, and so much more within the Anderson community. It has encouraged our small business owners to push themselves, learn new skills, and see what Anderson wants from them. The audience is diverse with entrepreneurs, realtors, Chamber staff, nonprofit leaders, stay-at-home moms, and even retirees. The Brew has given them an opportunity to share their voice with the small business owners in the community about things they would like to see or ways their shopping/dining experience could be better. This program has changed the way Anderson communicates about small business. Everyone is there to cheer each other on and see Anderson be the best it can be!

                With each community coming onboard with The Brew, it continues to take a life of its own in its new home. The program has a different flair at each site, but that is exactly what the City of Anderson had in mind when creating the signature networking event. Whether your town is rural, booming with business success, struggling to get downtown on the map, or maybe just looking to encourage business collaboration, The Brew might be the answer for you! You would be surprised at what a cup of coffee and conversation could do for your community! If you are interested in starting a Brew in your hometown, reach out to Sara Wright (swright@cityofandersonsc.com) or Caroline Gaddis (cgaddis@cityofandersonsc.com) for more information! We can’t wait to see what’s brewing next!

~ Caroline Gaddis & Sara Wright / City of Anderson Economic Development

Mobile Meals of Spartanburg

Nov 15, 2022 | Staying on Top, UpstateVibe365

As we celebrate this wonderful season of Thanksgiving, my heart runs over with memories and joy.

   It’s hard to believe that 45 years have passed since I founded Mobile Meals.  In some ways it seems like yesterday.  We deeply appreciate each person who has delivered meals or played a special role in Delivering God’s Love in Action through Mobile Meals to our meal recipients. You are each so important and I am deeply thankful for you.

   During Covid we lost 60% of our volunteer drivers and we still have serious needs for substitute drivers and folks that would take a weekly or every other weekly route.  Some became ill and can’t return and, sadly, we lost some precious lives to Covid.

   We thank all the volunteers who helped us never fail to deliver the same number of meals all through the tough Covid times (many delivering more than 1 route), when most charities had to cease their mission.

   Mobile Meal’s Board Chair, Rick Dent, shares – “The thing that impressed me the most about delivering meals was the expressed sincere appreciation by the recipients for my time and effort.  Each one was so pleased to see me at their door with their meal.”

   Those who deliver range from children with a parent or grandparent, seniors with a friend or businesses with a co-worker. Colleges, churches, banks, businesses and First Responders have the joy of delivering meals so the folks on their routes can remain in their own home.

   We ask that you please share our volunteer needs with your family, neighbors, churches and businesses.

   Our donors are needed annually as well as our volunteers.  We are not a government agency and are totally dependent upon our community to support this ministry financially and with the servant’s heart of volunteerism.

   Let me share a few verses of a wonderful poem which tells our meals story:

                                    Come live inside my old body and stare at the view

                                   distorted blurred vision may be unpleasant for you.

                                   Sure I have children why do you ask?

                                  They love me dearly they would perform any task.

                                  I don’t want to bother them they are so busy – you see.

                                  They must live their own lives I don’t want them worrying about

                                  me

                                  I sit here all day in this tattered old gown

                                 Wishing I could dress up and drive into town

                                  There’s a picture of my Henry in my Mothers old trunk

                                  And boxes of good books, old magazines and junk

                                 Sometimes I forget one day from the other,

                                 And spend a lot of time talking to my dead mother.

                                 I want to go back and sit on her lap

                                Or curl in her arms and take a long afternoon nap.

                               Then I remember I’m not a child at all!

                               Just a lonely old woman who stares at the wall.

                               I’m getting cold now – where’s my blanket and scarf,

                               Perhaps I should sit closer to the fireside’s warm hearth

                              Should I fall asleep and my heart turns to stone,

                              Bless those who brought a meal so I could stay in my home.

                             Come live within my old body and see how I feel

                             When an angel of mercy brings a home delivered meal!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving – I pray no one will be hungry or neglected!