Spartanburg Academic Movement

09/09/2026

The speaker lineup is set andThrive 2026 is bringing a national conversation about opportunity to Spartanburg.

On October 29, SAM and Movement 2030 will welcome nationally recognized leaders Dr. Raj Chetty, Christian Rhodes, Lisa M. Lawson and Julia Freeland Fisher for a full day focused on the relationships, opportunities and community connections that help children and families thrive.

But Thrive isn't just about hearing from national experts. It's about what we do with what we learn.

Educators. Business and nonprofit leaders. Philanthropists. Policymakers. Government and community leaders. This is an opportunity for people from across our community to come together, learn from proven strategies, make connections and consider what more is possible when we align around expanding opportunity.

A national conversation. Rooted in Spartanburg. Limited seating available.
📅 October 29, 2026
📍 Spartanburg Marriott
🎟️ Registration is open: learnwithsam.org/thrive-2026

09/04/2026

🎓 We know our college colors. The question that matters is: What colors will Spartanburg’s students wear next?

College Colors Day is a fun way for our SAM team to celebrate the places that helped shape us — but for Movement 2030, it’s also about what comes next.

Across Spartanburg County, we’re working to ensure students have the support, connections and opportunities to turn their plans for life after high school into reality.

Center the student. Strengthen the system. Close the gaps.

And for Spartanburg County’s Class of 2027, there’s Big Mo. 🎓

Every Spartanburg County high school senior has an opportunity to attend college with support from Big Mo.

Ready to make your move?
👉 AskBigMo.org

09/04/2026

🎓 College colors tell a story.

They represent opportunity, experiences and pathways that helped shape who we are — and today, our SAM team is wearing them with the next generation in mind.

Through Movement 2030, we’re working alongside partners across Spartanburg County to make sure every student has the support, connections and opportunities to imagine what comes next and get there.

Because the college on a sweatshirt may be different, but our commitment is shared: Center the student. Strengthen the system. Close the gaps.

Happy from SAM! 💙🎓

09/04/2026

🎓 Different colors. One shared goal.

Our SAM team showed up in the colors of the colleges and universities that helped shape our own journeys and reminded us why we do this work.

For every young person in Spartanburg County, we’re working to build a community where opportunity isn’t determined by ZIP code, circumstance or the gaps in the systems around them.

That means we:

🎯 Center the student. Start with what young people need to thrive.

🔗 Strengthen the system. Bring schools, colleges, employers and community partners together around shared goals.

📈 Close the gaps. Use data and collective action to make sure opportunity reaches every student.

On , we celebrate where we’ve been while staying focused on where Spartanburg’s students can go next.

09/04/2026

Better systems don’t happen by accident. They’re built.

New dates are available for the John T. Wardlaw Center for Improvement Science’s Continuous Improvement trainings!

Whether you’re an educator, nonprofit leader, community partner or changemaker, these hands-on sessions will give you practical tools you can put to work right away to help your team solve problems, strengthen systems and turn good ideas into measurable results.

Choose the training that fits where you are:

🔹 CI 101: Principles of Continuous Improvement: Oct. 2
🔹 CI 102: Tools & Methodologies for Teams: Nov. 2

Invest in your skills. Strengthen your systems. Create lasting impact.

👉 Register today: learnwithsam.org/trainings

09/02/2026

56,000+ children.
More than 2 million books.
25 years of new books in mailboxes for Spartanburg County children. 📚💛

Spartanburg was the first countywide community in South Carolina to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to local families.
Since 2001, our community has carried that commitment forward, with all seven school districts helping ensure books reach children across the county.

In a new op-ed published by the Post and Courier, SAM CEO Dr. Russell Booker reflects on Dolly Parton’s extraordinary legacy in Spartanburg, one he had the opportunity to witness from the very beginning.

Her impact here can be counted in millions of books. But her true legacy is found in the children, families and generations those books have touched.

Spartanburg County was one of the first to embrace Dolly Parton's philanthropic initiative of ensuring all preschool children had access to books to learn to read. (Full story below.)

09/02/2026

From education leader to civic leader.

We’re proud to see SAM CEO Dr. Russell Booker featured in AASA’s (national School Superintendents Association) School Administrator in a national conversation about a new model of leadership, one that extends beyond the schoolhouse and brings entire communities together around children and families.

It’s an approach Dr. Booker has practiced throughout his career and one that continues to guide our work at SAM today.

Through Movement 2030, SAM works alongside education, business, philanthropy, government and community partners to align around shared goals, strengthen pathways for children and families, and advance economic mobility across Spartanburg County.

We’re especially proud that the article highlights Spartanburg and Movement 2030 as examples of what’s possible when a community works together toward a shared vision.

🔗 Read the AASA feature: https://bit.ly/3SMIqnF

The changing role of the school system leader, who is uniquely positioned to help communities build the next era of public education.

09/01/2026

🎉 Happy SAMiversary, Dr. Booker!

Today, we’re celebrating six years of Dr. Russell W. Booker’s leadership at Spartanburg Academic Movement!

Over the past six years, Dr. Booker has helped bring people, organizations and communities together around a shared belief: every child and young person in Spartanburg County deserves the opportunity to thrive.

His leadership has helped SAM grow, strengthen partnerships across our community and build the collective commitment behind Movement 2030, aligning Spartanburg around ambitious goals from cradle to career.

Dr. Booker often reminds us that this work belongs to all of us. Today, we celebrate the leader who keeps challenging us to think bigger, work together and stay focused on what’s possible for Spartanburg’s children and families.

Please join us in wishing Dr. Booker a very happy 6th SAMiversary! 💙🎉

08/31/2026

HONOR DOLLY’S LEGACY RIGHT HERE IN SPARTANBURG

Dolly’s family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

For 25 years, Spartanburg County has helped carry Dolly’s vision forward, becoming the first countywide Imagination Library effort in South Carolina.

56,000+ CHILDREN
have participated since 2001

2 MILLION+ BOOKS
delivered to Spartanburg homes

8,000+ CHILDREN
served locally each year

HER LEGACY LIVES ON IN EVERY BOOK.

When you give through SAM and Hello Family, 100% of your gift stays right here in Spartanburg County, helping local children receive a book in their mailbox each month.

Give in Honor of Dolly
learnwithsam.org/dpil

08/28/2026

Reflecting on Dolly Parton's Spartanburg Legacy 💛📚

Like so many, we are saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton. While the world will remember an iconic entertainer and philanthropist, here in Spartanburg County, her legacy lives on in the tens of thousands of children who have experienced the joy of receiving a book in their mailbox each month.

Spartanburg holds a special place in the history of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. In 2001, our community became the first countywide effort in South Carolina to bring the program to local families. Since then, more than 56,000 children have participated, and more than 2 million books have made their way into Spartanburg County homes.

For 25 years, our community has carried forward Dolly's simple but powerful belief that putting books in the hands of children can help change the trajectory of their lives.

For those who have asked how they can honor Dolly and help continue that legacy, there are two opportunities to give locally.

Give through Spartanburg Academic Movement:
https://www.learnwithsam.org/dpil

Give through the Spartanburg County Foundation:
https://godonate.akoyago.com/spcf/fund/dollypartonlibraryspartanburg

100% of your gift stays right here in Spartanburg County, helping ensure our youngest learners continue receiving the gift of reading and learning.

Dolly gave our community much more than books. She gave generations of Spartanburg children the opportunity to dream, learn and imagine what their futures might hold.

We are grateful that our lives, and the lives of so many Spartanburg children, intersected with hers. 💛