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Upstate Class XXV Spring 2018

View the participants from this class.

Nikki Stafford, Calder Ehrmann Culinary Program at PW
Nathan Stock, Freshmen to Finish
Jennifer Parker, Upstate Storytellers
John Barker and Andrea Meade, A S.E.A.T. at the Table
(l-r) Neal Guthrie and Anton Thomas, COPA Champions
Anton Thomas, COPA Champions
Megan Dodgens, Director of Diversity Leadership Strategies
Upstate Class XXV Spring 2018
Mike Winiski, Upstate Storytellers
Glenda Ehrmann
Mike Gatchell, Calder Ehrmann Culinary Program at PW. Program was named for Calder because of his community and volunteer work.

Calder Ehrmann Culinary Program at PW

Greenville continues to be challenged with the issue of food deserts, defined as low-income areas without a grocery store within a mile, and therefore tend to rely on fast-food restaurants or convenient stores as primary food sources In partnership with the Phillis Wheatley Association (PWA) and Greenville County, a recent DLI capstone project (PW CHOP) initiated the first phase toward developing a culinary arts program to be operated at the Phillis Wheatley Center (PWC).

Upstate Storytellers

The lack of civil discourse on the national stage can deepen division and erode trust. We often seek out stories that confirm our beliefs, which can reinforce stereotypes and obscure what we have in common. This current reality can be discouraging and disheartening. Our goal for this DLI project is to counteract this national trend by providing a platform for sharing local stories that build bridges and empathy.

A S.E.A.T. at the Table

Greenville’s downtown is flourishing through its beautiful scenery, waterfalls, award-winning restaurants, art galleries, local shopping, farmer’s market, entertainment, sports, and warm-hearted neighbors. This DLI team was inspired to enhance our loving community adding a combination of the infectious and positive aspects of pay-it-forward with the spirit of unity.  We have created A S.E.A.T.

COPA Champions

COPA Champions is a program originally created from the mind of Anthony Esquivel, owner of COPA Indoor Soccer. Mr. Esquivel noticed that a large number of Hispanic youth from the local Berea neighborhood were coming to COPA to play soccer at his facility. Based on numerous conversations with the high school aged youth, he discovered that many of the bright and determined soccer enthusiast had no plans for life beyond high school despite their many academic and social achievements.

Freshmen to Finish

The Freshman to Finish capstone project seeks to assist in finding transportation solutions to the problem of transient students in Greenville County. Transients are students who move in the middle of the year and must attend a new school, and although South Carolina Law allows transient students to continue attending their old school until the end of the year, many families and even schools lack the transportation resources to take advantage of this law. This gap in resources can have devastating academic consequences for students.