Our Partners

Transforming children into educated, independent adults is the job of us all.

This large and ever growing group is composed of individuals and organizations across the County committed to playing key roles in supporting, enlivening, and sustaining the Spartanburg Academic Movement.  Partners include leadership in schools, colleges, non-profits, philanthropies, corporations, businesses, faith communities, and city and county governments.

SAM is aligning current and new partners with their interest and expertise areas along the StriveTogether Theory of Action. We draw local data to drive this work and look to our internal resources as well as the Community Indicators Project to identify targeted areas of work.

Among our partners are the following:

  • Seven school districts-the first signers of SAM partnership agreements

  • area colleges and a growing number of independent schools

  • Education non-profits providing pre-school through adult learning services

  • Faith communities and foundations

  • County Council and municipal governments

  • Corporations and small businesses

  • Service organizations and individuals

What's involved?

Some partners are actively engaged in improving performance at various stages of the educational continuum. Others work across adjacent sectors: those services that impact a learner’s life outside the classroom such as housing, transportation, employment, childcare, and healthcare. Each have an impact on a child’s ability and readiness to learn when they come into a learning environment whether it is a preschool setting, classroom, or Out-of-School-Time program.

These are often those agencies with direct access to children through their programs - those poised to monitor and track achievement and the success of interventions within existing or new programs. SAM does not run programs. SAM serves as a convener and data research agent, bringing together those with desire and capacity to work on particular issues surrounding student achievement. Other partners are providing advocacy and financial support to the Movement.  Still others have signed Partnership Agreements simply because they believe deeply in the purpose of SAM and seek to add value wherever possible.  

There is no limit to the numbers of Partners the Spartanburg Academic Movement can engage.  Every enterprise and individual with a deep interest in advancing educational achievement is invited to join. Whether engaging as a family or community member, as a small business, large corporation, or as a sustaining partner, we encourage you to Find Your Fit - for yourself, for your family, for your community network.