Once upon a time, a high school degree was enough for a person to obtain a good-paying, stable job that provided for a fulfilling life. Those days, however, are long gone. Today’s economy requires job-seekers to have some sort of post-secondary education to be competitive, whether that be a certification, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a graduate/professional degree. The benefits of higher education go beyond employment; more education mean increased quality of life, improved health, and greater community engagement.

College Hub was created one year ago to help Spartanburg County rise to this new standard by creating community collaboration to support our residents as they pursue higher education. Today, we are proud to report successes from our freshman year, and we look forward to even greater successes in the coming years.

How College Hub is Reaching out to the Community:

The College Hub executive director blogs about Spartanburg education for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. The blog, www.goupstate.com/CollegeHub, received 14,681 hits between June and December 2011.

The College Hub E-Newsletter is sent to 500 community leaders 10 times a year.

We continue to put positive stories about education in the local media. (See our News page for more!) 

Presentations have been made to 3,425 youth and 1,405 adults, covering topics like connecting education to career goals, how to find the right college for you, how the community can support education, and why it isn’t too late to go back to school. (These numbers exclude College Application Days and conference presentations.)

We have formed a number of significant partnerships as we work toward common goals and maximize community efforts. (See Our Supporters for more details.)

We have held more than 100 one-on-one meetings with community leaders to ensure that education is at the forefront of our actions and policies.

Quantitative Measures:

College Hub utilizes funds to help promote programs that will support our overall objectives in order to increase the number of Spartanburg County high school students who graduate on time and continue onto college. Overall metrics for College Hub success are listed below (with specifics listed when applicable). While education data takes time to collect and report, we are already making progress toward these measures.

• College campus visits of middle school students (80 high school students visited USC Upstate in February 2012 to network with local professionals; 60 middle/high school students will visit Converse College in March to participate in a day-long college summit)
• College self-efficacy of middle school students (9th graders this year to determine baseline)
• College applications completed by high school seniors (1,900 high school seniors completed at least one college application during the 2011 College Application Month; 2,500 students met college admissions representatives at our county-wide College Fair in October)
• Financial aid applications completed by high school seniors (support sessions set for spring 2012)
• Stronger connections between education and business (partnership with the Chamber and local businesses to ensure that education is valued by local companies)
• Fewer at-risk college freshman dropping out of school because they can’t pay for books (Wells Fargo sponsored the 2011 Bucks for Books Scholarship Program, providing book scholarships for county students pursuing higher education the fall after high school graduation)
• Number of mentor/mentee relationships established and number of meetings (30 Spartanburg High School students will meet their Wofford College mentor in February 2012. The pairs will meet multiple times a month using a set, evidence-based curriculum)
• Increase the presence of college in K-12 schools (workshops and seminars in schools; college-related signage for schools; college-messaged supplies to students)
• Increase number of adults who enroll in degree-seeking programs (a cohort of employees at a Spartanburg business is returning to school this spring to complete bachelor’s degrees)

Please explore more of the College Hub website! Use the blue boxes at the top of this page for more information to help you understand where we have made an impact in 2011, and use the left navigation to help you or a loved on on the path to higher education. Thank you for being part of Spartanburg County's success!