The Riley Institute at Furman

A new South Carolina law is helping families protect inherited land and the wealth it can create for future generations.

The legislation reflects years of cross-sector work by community advocates, policymakers, and partners, including the Center for Heirs' Property, recipient of The Riley Institute's 2026 Partners in Progress Award.

Read more in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/may/29/gullah-geechee-property-tax-relief-act

Trusted, accessible election coverage helps strengthen civic participation across South Carolina.

Our partners at South Carolina ETV will host and livestream three South Carolina Election 2026 primary debates from Columbia:

📍 Republican Attorney General Primary Debate — May 27 at 7 p.m.
📍 Republican Gubernatorial Primary Debate — June 1 at 7 p.m.
📍 Democratic Gubernatorial Primary Debate — June 3 at 7 p.m.

Tune in to hear directly from candidates and stay informed about the issues shaping communities across our state.

Watch the livestream here:

South Carolina ETV and Public Radio to broadcast and livestream "South Carolina Election 2026" primary debates | South Carolina ETV South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) will host, broadcast and livestream a series of South Carolina Election 2026 primary debates beginning May 27 at 7 p.m. from SCETV studios in Columbia. The debates will air live across SCETV’s statewide television and radio network as well as across all ...

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping every part of American life from the information we trust to how we work, learn, and make decisions. 2026 will ask: How do we shape the future of AI before it shapes us?

Save the Dates: September 1, 8, 15. Confirmed speakers include:
🟣Renee Cummings: 2023 VentureBeat AI Innovator Award winner, University of Virginia
🟣Sneha Revanur: Founder, Encode AI. Youngest in TIME’s inaugural list of the 100 most influential voices in AI
🟣Jaime Harrison: Former chair of the Democrats
🟣Matt Moore: Former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party

More details coming soon.

Advantage Scholars — we look forward to having you here at Furman University on June 22!

Wondering how much fun you're about to have? Let the past Advantage Scholars cohorts show you.

Visit www.furman.edu/news/advantage-scholars-get-first-experience-as-paladins/ to read what past cohorts thought of their experiences.

Great gains coming from our 2026 Partners in Progress award winner, Center for Heirs' Property, and their allies and partners!

This past weekend, we celebrated the graduates who have challenged ideas, led conversations across perspectives, and stepped into civic engagement.

Congratulations to our scholars and all Furman University graduates crossing the stage. Thank you for leaving Furman better than you found it! 🎓

Primaries are coming up fast, and the voter registration deadline is even sooner. Monday is the final day to register to vote in South Carolina's primaries.

Check your status at https://vrems.scvotes.sc.gov/Voter/Login/Index

This week on Simple Civics: Greenville County EdTalks, Cathy Stevens and Amy Keely unpacked The Riley Institute's multifaceted approach to elevating public education, from recognizing proven success stories in WhatWorksSC to empowering educators with South Carolina Afterschool Leaders Empowered.

Tune into the history behind a million-dollar federal pilot that skyrocketed into a $1.3 billion investment and A LOT more.

🎧 Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6noiN31ZMyvu2Bx62jq7J4
🎧 YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvpwfchQ7RI

Hosted by Greater Good Greenville and Public Education Partners.

Last week, the 16th annual Dick and Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC Award Celebration gathered educators, policymakers, and changemakers from across South Carolina around one central question: What actually works?

Three exceptional programs positively impacting South Carolina public education answered.

Congratulations to our WWSC 2026 winner, Kids On Point, as well as finalists Richland County School District One Summe SOAR and Darlington County School District Office of Career Readiness!

Discover what lessons we can all learn from Kids On Point: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whatworkssc-lessons-from-kids-point-fkkje

Every day, over 55 million children are in the care of teachers across public and private schools of the United States.

At The Riley Institute, we believe there is no greater investment we can make than in our country's youth through education. Thank you, teachers, for your critical work!

ℹ️ National Center for Education Statistics