EASLEY — Seven United Ways serving 10 Upstate counties launched a new partnership with Upstate Subway Sandwich Shops recently to help maximize the early learning potential of young children and expand efforts to provide quality learning activities for parents and children.
The partnership with Subway is a significant addition to Born Learning Upstate SC, a public engagement campaign that aims to help parents, caregivers and communities provide young children with quality learning opportunities. The campaign is built around research that shows children are “born learning,” with the first three years of a child’s life proven to be an especially critical time.
“So much research shows that from the very first moments of a child’s life, the everyday interactions they have with adult caregivers set the stage for learning and promote social, emotional and intellectual development,” said Julie Capaldi, CEO of United Way of Pickens County.

There are currently Born Learning Upstate SC trails at parks in Easley, Liberty and Six Mile, with trails planned to come soon to Pickens and Clemson.

One of the components of the campaign has been the installation of Born Learning Trails across the Upstate. These trails include fun, engaging activities designed to boost language and literacy skills, and encourage children and their families to be active physically and mentally. Trail locations can be found on the Born Learning Website, BornLearningUpstateSC.org, or by calling 2-1-1, United Way’s statewide, 24-hour resource line. In Pickens County, trails are located at J.B. “Red” Owens Park in Easley, Freedom Park in Liberty and Ponderosa Park in Six Mile. Trails will be installed at Ashley Dearing Park in Clemson and Jaycee Park in Pickens this month.

“When we started this regional partnership in 2013, we launched with 15 trails across the region,” said Paige Stephenson, CEO of the United Way of the Piedmont. “I am excited to be able to announce today that we now have 40 trails throughout our communities in the Upstate of South Carolina. These trails are an important United Way strategy to foster quality parent-child interaction and help children along the path to school readiness.”
In celebrating the 40 Born Learning Trails, the United Ways of the Upstate are launching a unique partnership with local Subway Sandwich Shops. Participating Subway locations, including Central, Clemson and Liberty, will be offering Fresh Fit for Kids meal coupons to users of the trail. There will be a Subway sign with a QR code somewhere along each of the 40 trails. When trail users find the sign, they can simply scan the QR code, answer a very brief survey and receive a Subway coupon. This effort not only helps promote early learning and trail usage, it will also help local United Ways track the number of trail users.
“Our local owners are part of the community and see the United Way Born Learning Trails as a meaningful way to support healthy lifestyles and early learning,” said Tom Harvey, a parent of grade-school children and local owner of six Subway Sandwich Shops in the Greenville area.
The recent announcement came as a precursor to the 2016 Week of the Young Child (April 10-16), where child-friendly, educational activities are being held by United Ways and partner organizations throughout the Upstate throughout the week. A list of events can be found on the Born Learning Upstate website, BornLearningUpstateSC.org.
BornLearningUpstate.org also offers an extensive collection of resources for parents, easy games to play at home or around town, as well as a list of United Way-supported early education programs in each of the 10 Upstate counties. Parents and caregivers can go to the Website or call 2-1-1 for local contacts to receive materials, resources and program information.
“We all share a commitment to helping children grow up healthy, ready for school, and prepared for a lifetime of success,” said Carol Burdette, president of United Way of Anderson County. “Today’s commitment of support by Subway is an important example of how businesses can bring unique ideas to the table relating to the promotion of school readiness.”

• Clearview to host meeting April 9

Planning to open for the 2018-19 school year, Clearview Collegiate Academy is a charter school serving grades 6-12 who seek the opportunity and challenge of a rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and outstanding athletics in a safe, small setting while earning up to two years of college credit while in high school.
For those interested in hearing more about what Clearview has to offer, a parent forum is scheduled Thursday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Smithfields Country Club, 100 Pine Ridge Drive in Easley. For more information, visit clearviewcollegiateacademy.org or facebook.com/ClearviewCollegiate/.

• Lawrence Chapel plans jewelry sale

Lawrence Chapel will host a vintage collectible jewelry and accessories sale and a bake sale too on Saturday, April 9, starting at 9 a.m. The sale will last until noon. Lawrence Chapel is located at 2101 Six Mile Highway, Central, SC 29630. For more information, call (864) 653-4461.

• Relay for Life set for April 30 at EHS

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest and most impactful fundraising event to end cancer. Baptist Easley Hospital would like to help our community to unit in fighting cancer and celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all. With the support of thousands of volunteers like you, the American Cancer Society is helping save more than 500 lives a day. Please join Baptist Easley Hospital and take action against a disease that has taken too much. The event is on Saturday, April 30 from 2 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Easley High School, 154 Green Wave Blvd. in Easley. All Wells Fargo locations in Pickens County are currently accepting donations.

• PHS class of 1956 set to hold reunion

The Pickens High School Class of 1956 is planning a reunion for April 9. It will be a dutch lunch at The Gatehouse Restaurant at the corner of Ann and Griffin streets in Pickens. It will begin at noon. Make your reservations by calling Allison Dalton at (864) 859-4396, Marie Welborn at (864) 878-9124 or Tunkie Stokes at (864) 878-6101.

• Six Mile Farmers Market seeks vendors

The town of Six Mile is looking for vendors at the Six Mile Farmers Depot for the 2016 season. The market starts the third Thursday in April and runs through the last Thursday in September. Vendors may sell plants, flowers, vegetables, fruit and arts and crafts. Cakes, pies, jams and jellies produced in a DHEC-approved kitchen may also be sold. The Six Mile Farmers Market is located on Main Street in Six Mile in the old fire department building next to Town Hall. The market features 18 vendor stations inside and has room outside for several more. If interested, contact market manager Jim Hayes at (864) 650-5078 or james_hayes@sixmilesc.org.

• Pickens Lions plan meetings each month

The Pickens Lions Club is in need of new members. The club meets the first and third Thursday of every month at Pizza Inn in Pickens. Dinner begins at 6:40 p.m., and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to anyone interested in joining the club or simply finding out more about the club and how it serves Pickens.