District 7 is honored to be named 2022 Public Service Partner of the Year by the United Way of the Piedmont. The recognition was announced at their Corporate and Community Leaders breakfast on June 15, 2022.
"This award reflects the dedication of each D7 employee to the students and families we serve. Every member of our team supports D7’s mission to inspire and equip students for meaningful lives of leadership and service as world citizens. Moreover, this award reflects the work we do together with our community partners – because indeed, we cannot do it without them," said District 7 Superintendent Jeff Stevens.
Each child at the center of District 7’s mission is surrounded by a network of support from throughout Spartanburg. On any given day, the people and resources at work inside our schools – and those working on behalf of our students and families outside of our schools – include numerous individuals, groups and organizations in this community. Our role is sometimes to serve as steward of these resources, and sometimes simply as beneficiary of the visionary leadership that surrounds us.
"If you were to ask D7 teachers and staff their greatest wish for our students and families, many of us would wish to remove the barriers that impact students’ physical, emotional and mental health; and ultimately their ability to learn and thrive in our schools," said Stevens. "The United Way is at work towards this end, with numerous community partners working collaboratively to support those who struggle with self-sufficiency, with poverty, with educational attainment, and ultimately with breaking the generational cycle to gain upward mobility."
Over the next 10 years, the United Way of the Piedmont's Community Impact Agenda aims to:
decrease individuals living below self-sufficiency by 10% or 11,000 people,
decrease individuals living in poverty who are unemployed by 75% or 3,700 people, and
decrease the number of cost-burdened low-income households by 10% or 6,000 households.
As our community works together to accomplish these goals, it will be transformational for many students and families in Spartanburg School District 7.
We thank our partners at the United Way and beyond. District 7 is honored to be selected as Public Service Partner of the Year and heartened by all of those who work to support our students and families.