Upstate Schools Consortium

The Upstate Schools Consortium offers professional development opportunities throughout the school year related to a wide range of topics, from literacy and math to college and career readiness to grading, for K-12 educators, district office personnel, and future educators on Furman’s campus and online.

Counties Served

Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Union

Annual Cost

$26,000

Partner Organizations

• K-12 School Districts in the nine Upstate counties
• North Greenville University
• Converse University
• University of South Carolina-Upstate
• As-Sabeel Academy
• Greenville Tech Charter High School
• St. Anne’s Catholic School
• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School
• Christ Church Episcopal School
• S.C. School for the Deaf and Blind

Funding Sources

Cash:

Annual dues from member districts

In-Kind:

Furman University

Evidence

The popularity of Upstate Schools Consortium offerings has remained strong, even during the pandemic. During the 2020-2021 school year, a total of 3,811 local educators and future educators registered to participate in professional developments held online via Zoom. During the 2021-2022 school year, 3,277 educators and future educators participated in either in-person events on Furman’s campus or viewed the recorded versions online.

Of the 999 participants who responded to seminar surveys during the 2020-2021 year, 985, or 98.6 percent, said they would be able to use the information in their classrooms. 98.8 percent of participants ranked the seminars as either “excellent” or “good.”

Of the 376 who have responded to seminar surveys so far this year, 373, or 99.2 percent said they would be able to implement the information in their classrooms. 98.9 percent of participants listed the seminars as “excellent” or “good.”

Sustainability

Upstate Schools Consortium is in the midst of planning changes to the fee structure and will be implementing the first cost increase in at least 15 years, from 15 cents per student to 20 cents per student in 2022-2023. The challenges of the pandemic have drastically increased presentation fees for most of the speakers. Many speakers do not want to travel to make in-person presentations when they are able to do so from home. The cost of virtual professional development has also skyrocketed. The program wants to ensure it can continue to bring in nationally-known speakers who are able to share practical, research-based strategies that educators are able to bring back to classrooms right away. Through cost-sharing, the program has been able to bring in renowned educators from across the country for more than 35 years.

Grades Served

• Early Childhood (Pre-K – 2)
• Elementary (3-5)
• Middle School (6-8)
• High School (9-12)

Related Subjects

• English Language Arts
• Health Education
• STEM
• Family Engagement
• Real-World Skills
• World Languages

Contact Information

Erikah Haavie, erikah.haavie@furman.edu