The Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) has announced a five-year, $15 million Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grant to provide extensive mental health services, expanded early childhood education and access to high-quality afterschool learning and enrichment programs in partnership with Districts 3 and 7.
During the kickoff celebration at Pacolet Elementary School, SAM announced its new partnership with the two school districts and supporting organizations including the Benjamin E. Mays Family Center, Bloom Upstate, City of Spartanburg Parks and Recreation Department, Emerge Family Therapy Center, My Brother’s Keeper, Northside Development Group, Quality Counts, ReGenesis Healthcare, and United Way of the Piedmont.
Dr. Russell Booker, CEO of the Spartanburg Academic Movement, said the Full-Service Community Schools grant administered by the Department of Education is a model that centers the school as a place for students and families to access a variety of services that will improve student achievement and other outcomes around four pillars: holistic integrated student supports, active family and community engagement, expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities and collaborative leadership and practices.
The FSCS grant will provide wraparound services including additional 3K classrooms, family navigators, a mobile health clinic, Continuous Improvement trainings for teachers, classroom coaching for appropriate behavior response, site coordinators, family and community-based resources and quality after-school programming in six elementary schools and two middle schools. Initially, Cowpens Elementary, Pacolet Elementary, Cleveland Academy of Leadership, Mary H. Wright Elementary, Carver Middle School and Clifdale Middle School will receive supports, but Spartanburg School District Three Superintendent Julie Fowler said the plan is sustainable and could continue long after the initial grant term.
“We would like to thank Dr. Booker, the team at Spartanburg Academic Movement, and our local school district and agency partners for collaborating to bring this significant investment to our community,” Fowler said. “From expanded educational opportunities to mental health support, the Full-Service Community Schools Grant will help us ensure our students have the resources they need to excel academically and build bright futures.”
Spartanburg School District 7 Superintendent Jeff Stevens said wraparound services that support families daily are a critical part of District 7’s education approach.
“Partnerships are one of the great hallmarks of our Spartanburg community, and that has long been reflected within District 7. We wholeheartedly embrace this collaborative work and recognize its impact on our children’s growth and achievement. However, there is much more work to be done in order for every student to receive the support they need to thrive,” Stevens said. “I am proud that Spartanburg is able to demonstrate a shared, community-wide commitment to this work that is deemed worthy of such significant investment. The Full-Service Community Schools grant will greatly impact District 7 through initiatives that expand early childhood education, after school programming, health and social services, family engagement, and much more. The culture of collaboration in Spartanburg is growing, and our community will be far better because of it.”
The Full-Service Community Schools Grant is the only one awarded to a South Carolina organization or school district this year. In a release, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said the goal of the grant is to support academic success, expand access to mental health and health services, support family engagement and community partnerships and help schools provide students with families and resources they need to thrive. This year’s grantees will support 102 school districts, 292 schools and 229,549 students.
Written by Spartanburg Academic Movement.