Greer Middle School Students Tour SC Works

On December 8, 2011 (30) 8th grade students from Greer Middle School visited the SC Works office in McAlister Square for a tour. They were welcomed by Jay Blankenship,Coordinator of the Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success,and the Youth Council, Greenville Workforce Investment Board.

Jerry Harbuck, Computer Lab Manager at SC Works Greenville, took the students on a tour of the SC Works offices, the University Center, and the ARC at Greenville Technical College. Jerry was also instrumental in introducing the students to WorkKeys and explaining the assessment's importance in hiring the current workforce of more than 300 SC companies. Dean Jones, WIA Director also shared information with the students.

The students enjoyed lunch at Caesar's then, listened to a presentation by Sandy Spann, a Greenville Tech Admissions Counselor.

The students learned a great deal about the services offered by SC Works. They can also share the information that they learned with a friend or family member seeking a job.

The Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success, the Phi Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the Princeton Review presents: “College Readiness 101”

“College Readiness 101”

• Test Taking Strategies

• The College Admissions Process

• How to Find Scholarships For College

Thursday, November 10, 2011

6:30pm – 8:00pm

Room 514

The University Center of Greenville

225 S.Pleasantburg Drive

Greenville, SC 29607

Greer Middle Students to Participate in Twitter Virtual Job Shadowing Project

On November 17, 2011 Greer Middle Keyboarding students will use Twitter to interact with employees from local companies. Students will learn about careers in the Information Technology career cluster by tweeting with employees from ScanSource, The Greenville News, Orangecoat, Immedion, Fox 21, Wyff 4, Engenius and ITT Technical College.


While interacting via Twitter, students will conduct research on the careers of employees participating in the event. The public can follow the day's events by following @GMSvirtualjs or searching using #GMSvirtualjs.

The event is sponsored by the Greenville Region of  Personal Pathways to Success.

Dream It Do It South Carolina Greenville Partner Awarded Boeing Contract

(GREENVILLE, SC, October 7th, 2011) – ADEX Machining Technologies, a manufacturer of precision machined components for aerospace, defense and energy industries, announced today that it has been awarded a multi-year contract by The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) to produce a variety of Titanium and other exotic alloy structural components for Boeing 747 and 777 commercial passenger jetliners.

Earlier this year in March, ADEX was one of three companies selected for Boeing’s Mentorship Program following a rigorous evaluation process and competitive down-select to identify qualified companies in South Carolina.  As part of the Mentorship Program, Boeing provided technical, quality and supplier-management support to help ADEX complete all critical steps necessary for qualification.

“I’m proud to support Boeing’s continued investment in America’s work force and development of suppliers such as ADEX right here in South Carolina.  In this economy, every single job counts, and Boeing’s continued success will bring the skilled manufacturing jobs we need to spur our nation’s economic recovery,” said Trey Gowdy, U.S. Representative for the 4^th District of South Carolina.

Jason Premo serves as the Co-Chair for Dream It Do It South Carolina Greenville Region and is a partner of the Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success.

Over 300 Greer Middle Students Participate in Choice Bus Day

Over 300 8th graders participated in the Choice Bus visit to Greer Middle School on Tuesday, September 13, 2011. The Choice Bus is a tool created by The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation for the purpose of extending the learning experience of the InsideOut documentary outside the classroom and keeping students on the road to a good education. This experience-based learning tool contains a “real” jail cell connected to an interactive learning environment.

AHEC Pathways Health Careers Academy

The AHEC Pathways Health Careers Academy is a health career exploration experience for high school students. Academy Fellows participate in four years of programming in sessions filled with activities that promote academic success, career development and personal growth. One-on-one mentoring and parental involvement are major components of the Academy. The academy program works to increase the number of students entering the health professions in South Carolina. The academy in the Greenville Region is sponsored by AHEC and the Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success.

Session Dates and Times

Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Orientation 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Saturday, October 1, 2011 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Saturday, October 22, 2011 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Saturday, November 5, 2011 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Saturday, December 3, 2011 10:00 am – 1:00 pm


All sessions will be held at the University Center of Greenville in Rm # 514

Educators Participate In "Your Future is Here for the Making ... in Manufacturing Careers"

15 educators from Greenville County School District participated in the Dream It Do It South Carolina Greenville Region "Educators in Industry" program. The educators participated in sessions that focused on the Manufacturing career cluster/Advanced Manufacturing. Through site visits educators gained insight in to the required technology and other workplace skills necessary in the manufacturing industry.

As a result, the educators developed methods to prepare their students to transition successfully into this career path. The overall goal of the program was aimed to increase the number of employers and schools working together to increase awareness of manufacturing careers. The educators represented JL Mann HS Academy, Hughes MS Academy, and AJ Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering. Dr. Marjorie Dowd, Greenville County Schools Michele Brinn &Tami Miller, Greenville Chamber's Carolina First Center for Excellence served as instructors.

The educators received an overview and toured the following Manufacturing partners:

Fabri-Kal

Sage Automotive Interiors

Cryovac

GE Aviation

Celebrate A.J. Day at the Greenville Drive

Supporters of A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School for Engineering or anyone looking for a fun family evening are invited to attend "Celebrate A.J. Day" at the Greenville Drive baseball game at Flour Field on Monday, August 15, 2011.


Prior to the 7 pm contest, there will be a PTA Meet and Greet for current and new parents of A.J. Whittenberg students and all A.J. Whittenberg students will receive free admission. School activities will be featured throughout the ballgame.

A portion of ticket sales will go to benefit the school and special ticket packages are available.

For more details, contact Ansel Sanders at 864. 452.0512.

The Greenville REC and the Greenville Workforce Investment Board GEAR program participate in the Housing Authority of the City of Greenville first annual Father’s Day “Connecting Families and Fathers” Initiative.

The Greenville REC and the Greenville Workforce Investment Board GEAR program participated in the Housing Authority of the City of Greenville first annual Father’s Day “Connecting Families and Fathers” Initiative. The event was held on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at the Westview Homes from 10:00am to 2:00pm.



Fathers, residents and community members were provided with information on

 Personal Pathways to Success

 The Fatherhood Coalition of the Upstate

 Job Corp

 GED / High School Diploma

 Job Preparation & Training

 Child Support Advocacy

 Health & Human Services

The day was filled activities for the whole family. There was a magic show, inflatables, balloon art and music. A local eatery provided grilled foods and refreshments.

The Greenville WIB and the Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success Participate in the 3rd Annual FOCUS Event

The Focus event provided Mt. Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church with an opportunity to share information with its congregation and the community on the services available in the community. The goal is to use the information provided by the social service organizations to empower its residents. It was a fun day filled with activities for all ages.

2011 Choice Bus Greenville Pictures

Ten at the Top Executive Director makes presentation to the Greenville RECAB

Dean Hybl, Executive Director of Ten at the Top served as the guest speaker at the June 16, 2011 Greenville Regional Education Center Advisory Board meeting. Mr. Hybl shared with the board members the mission, vision and strategic plan for Ten at the Top.



About Ten at the Top

Ten at the Top was created to foster a spirit of cooperation and collaboration among public, private and nonprofit leaders from across the ten-county Upstate South Carolina Region.

For more than a year, Ten at the Top engaged over 10,000 Upstate residents, community leaders, elected officials and business leaders in a conversation about "What Matters Most" as we look toward a future where the 10-county Upstate region is projected to add more than 275,000 residents and 200,000 jobs between now and 2030.

The culmination of this effort was the Our Upstate Vision, which represents a picture of what residents want the Upstate to aspire to over the next two decades. The vision calls for the 10-county Upstate region in 2030 to be universally recognized as one of the leading places in the United States to live, learn, do business and raise a family.

It is a bold vision that outlines five driver areas that can help make it achievable. Those areas are: Human Potential, Economic & Entrepreneurial Vitality, Sustainable Growth, Natural Beauty & Resources and Community Vibrancy. To learn more about Ten at the Top, please visit their website at www.tenatthetop.org

Dean Hybl, Executive Director, Ten at the Top

Personal Pathways to Success Month - Survey Results Winner (Greenville Region)

Jay Blankenship and Antonia "Toni" Chapman

The Choice Bus Visit: Greenville

The Choice Bus Visit: Greenville


May 4th-5th, 2011

Over 400 students participated in the presentation and tour. The students were from:

• Legacy Charter School

• Greer Alternative School

• Greer Middle School


The Choice Bus is a tool created by The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation for the purpose of extending the learning experience of the InsideOut documentary outside the classroom and keeping students on the road to a good education. This experience-based learning tool contains a “real” jail cell connected to an interactive learning environment.

Testimonials

Good Evening,

The total number of Legacy Charter School students who toured the Choice Bus was 232. Thank you so much for sharing this meaningful experience with our students. Some of the students are still talking about Choice Bus and making references to the information that was shared with them. Again, thank you for coming to Legacy Charter School. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Jean B. Williams
Principal Legacy Charter School

Jay: I saw this news clip last night. Very good publicity. Dr. Marianne Holland, RECAB Member


Group,

Just wanted to send a thank you to each of you for last week’s Choice Bus Tour. I truly was disappointed that I couldn’t make it out but understand we had a fabulous week! Thanks for the work each of you did to make it a great week. Look forward to hopefully seeing you in Sept!!

Sincerely,

Bruce White
Southern Zone Public Affairs
State Farm

Dream It Do It South Carolina - 2011 Southeast InnoVenture Conference (Greenville, SC) Pictures

PlastiVan Pictures





Greenville One Stop System Youth Programs Team Participates in DJJ Community Form

Representatives from the Greenville One Stop System youth programs team participated in the DJJ Community Form that was held at Greenville Technical College on Saturday, April 16, 2011. The form was held to provide the community with information about the services provided by DJJ and its community partners. Several youth service organizations were present at the event. Some of the organizations participating were SHARE, The Urban League, Personal Pathways to Success (Greenville Region), Department of Juvenile Justice, Family Court, 13th Solicitors Office, Pretrial Intervention Programs, Greenville County School District, Juvenile Diversion Services, Juvenile Drug Court, Greenville County Office, Department of Juvenile Justice, Greenville County Law Enforcement and the Phoenix Center.

Parents and forum attendees were also provided with an opportunity to:
•receive information on how DJJ can assist children and families
•receive information on agencies providing help to the youth of
Greenville

•participate in a Question and Answer session with forum guests

Organizations Partner for Student Career Night

Kappa Alpha Psi in partnership with Legacy Charter School, Greenville County One Stop and the Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success sponsored a Career Development Workshop on April 14, 2011 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P. M. at Legacy Charter School. The target audience of the workshop was African American students in grades 6-12. Keynote speaker for the Event was Jay Blankenship representing the Greenville WIB and Personal Pathways to Success. Mr. Blankenship shared with the students and their parents the importance of education. Jay, also shared with the attendees the services that are available through the Greenville One Stop system and Personal Pathways to Success.

Our schools do a good job of informing students about career choices, however African American youth could benefit from being exposed to successful minority role models. Consider this: A black child could conceivably go from kindergarten through high school in the public school system and never be exposed to black educators or role models on a consistent basis.

Through programs such as this career development workshop; African American youth will be provided with real life applications from African American professionals as to why they should learn Math, English, Science and other school related subjects.

Work Shop participants: Construction(Ladd Byrd), Insurance & Banking(Ann Thompson), Business, Management and Administration (Anthony Tutt), Education and Training (Lillian Brock Fleming), Government and Public Administration, Health Care ( Lorraine Jones), Non Profit Management (Janice Butler), Information Technology (Vernon Trice), Law, Public Safety and Security (Natalie Hill) , Manufacturing (Jay Blankenship)

Inaugural JA Titan Challenge — A Great Day!

Junior Achievement of Upstate SC conducted its first JA Titan Challenge on April 2, 2011 at Clemson at the Falls, Clemson’s downtown hub for business, executive and entrepreneurial education. Twelve teams totaling thirty-two students from Crescent High School in Anderson District 3, and Greenville and Wade Hampton High Schools from the Greenville County School District vied for college scholarships in an online, interactive business simulation tournament. The competition is uniquely designed to unleash student creativity, test leadership skills, and demonstrate the competitive nature of the free enterprise system.

Acting as CEOs, the student teams make decisions on pricing, production, marketing, capital investment, research and development, and charitable giving. The team with the highest performance index at the end of the day was declared the winner. 50% of the performance index was based on retained earnings, and 50% on equal parts demand potential, supply potential, productivity, market share, and growth.

Join New Carolina and Partners - Annual Entrepreneurship Event

Economic development, university, college, K-12 educators, government and business leaders who are interested in promoting the growth of South Carolina’s homegrown firms.

What’s on the Agenda: Hear results from a just-completed University of South Carolina research project on types of entrepreneurial firms creating jobs in South Carolina. Participate to identify opportunities for promoting growth of South Carolina’s homegrown firms. Help define next steps in creating a stronger entrepreneurial economy in South Carolina.


Connect with K-12 educators in a special edition, invite only "Midday Targeted Seminar for K-12 Educators "MIDDAY" TARGETED SEMINAR FOR EDUCATORS: This is a special breakout session for K-12 educators hosted by SC Economics, MEBA, and YesCarolina

• The 1.5 hour session begins with a seminar about human capital and concludes with short presentations by the hosting organizations
• The breakout session will begin at 1:40pm. Educators are welcome to re-join the general session to conclude the day
• Cost to attend for educators is half price ($40) and includes lunch.

April 7, 2011
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Midlands Technical College Harbison Campus
Harbison Theater and Classroom Building
Columbia, South Carolina
http://www.eventbrite.com

Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success to Host Kuder Journey Workshop for Adult Service Providers

The workshop will be held on Monday, March 14, 2011 from 8:30am to 11:00am at the Greenville County One Stop Business Services Office located at C-11 McAlister Square.

Seating is limited so please RSVP to jblankenship@scpathways.org by Wednesday, March 9, 2011.

Kuder Journey is a one-of-a-kind solution to help you plan for the right career! Based on your specific needs, Journey provides reliable tools to assess your interests, suggest education and career options, prepare you for the job search, and connect you to today’s jobs.

Journey Highlights
• Provides a comprehensive system for exploring career interests and occupational options, considering new or additional education and training.
• Guides users through an easy step by step process, providing a reliable and effective career planning and development experience.
• Features a flexible approach for users to complete the steps in a recommended order, or to select the step that meets their immediate needs.
• Supports ongoing awareness of job opportunities, including today’s high demand, high growth jobs.
• Enables users to manage an e-Portfolio, a web page of achievements and goals that can be shared online.
• Supplements career preparation and placement programs with data driven resources for career centers and workforce agencies to show real time results.

Junior Achievement President Presents to the Greenville REC Advisory Board

Connie Lanzl, President Junior Achievement of the Upstate served as the guest speaker at the February 24th meeting of the Greenville REC Advisory Board. Mrs. Lanzl shared with the board the vision, mission and activities of Junior Achievement.

Since 1967, Junior Achievement of Upstate South Carolina has been preparing children to succeed in life through hands-on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness programs.

This year more than 350 business professionals, parents, retirees and college students will enter our schools to teach Junior Achievement programs to 6,500 children. These volunteers use their personal experiences to make the Junior Achievement curricula practical and realistic. Providing children with positive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our free enterprise system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.

Robots Come to Charleston

Join us for the South Carolina FIRST Lego League State Championship
held at the North Charleston Convention Center on March 5, 2011.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 8:45 am and the competition starts at 9:15 am. The Challenge theme this year is “Body Forward – Engineering Meets Medicine”.

9-14yr olds will compete in 4 categories that include Robot Performance, Robot Design, Teamwork and a Research Project Presentation.6-9yr olds will be judged for their models and Show Me Posters.

For additional information please contact Janice Jolly at 843.297.7946.janicejolly@bellsouth.net

The Greenville Region of Personal Pathways to Success and the Greenville Workforce Investment Board Youth Council Sponsors PlastiVan Day at Greer Middle School in April

The PlastiVan Program is a great way to WOW and excite young people about science and the vast opportunities the plastics industry has to offer. PlastiVans travel to schools and companies throughout North America, educating people of all ages about plastic’s chemistry, history, processing, manufacturing, sustainability and application. Easily integrated into school curricula, the PlastiVan mission is to provide sound science and educational programs which spark scientific curiosity in students while increasing their knowledge of the contribution plastics make to modern life.

Greenville student named as state delegates for US Senate Youth Program

WASHINGTON –Carrie Tian of Greenville have been selected as one of South Carolina’s delegates to attend the 49th Annual United States Senate Youth Program to be held March 5-12 in the nation’s capital.


Tian was chosen from across the state to join the group of 104 young people in the weeklong program, according to Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint. The purpose is “to increase young Americans’ understanding of the interrelationships of the three branches of government, the caliber and responsibilities of federally elected and appointed officials, and the vital importance of democratic decision making not only for America but for people around the world,” as stated in the Senate resolution creating the program in 1962.

Tian is student body secretary at Southside High School in Greenville. She also serves as Academic Team captain, president of Headstrong and plays violin in the Carolina Youth Symphony. She plans to study English or history in college.

While in Washington, student delegates attend meetings and briefings with Senate leadership, other senators and congressional staff; the President, a Justice of the Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, an Ambassador to the United States and top members of the national media. They also tour national monuments, several museums and stay at the historic Mayflower hotel downtown.

In addition to the program week, The Hearst Foundations provide each of the 104 student delegates with a $5,000 undergraduate college scholarship to encourage coursework in government, history and public affairs. Transportation and all expenses for the program are also provided by The Hearst Foundations; no government funds are expended.