Spartanburg Academic Movement

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. 💛

08/27/2026

SAM is hiring!

SAM is looking for a talented leader to step into a key position on our team and help advance our work alongside partners across Spartanburg County.

If you’re passionate about collaboration, impact and creating stronger pathways for children, young people and families, we’d love to hear from you, or for you to share this opportunity with someone who should be at the table.

Learn more + apply: https://bit.ly/3UmM3RF

08/25/2026

THRIVE 2026 is bringing some of the nation’s leading voices on economic mobility, opportunity and the future of young people to Spartanburg, and you’ll want to be in the room.

Join us for a day of bold ideas, meaningful conversations and practical strategies for creating communities where every child and young person has the opportunity to thrive.

Our featured speakers include:

⭐ Dr. Raj Chetty -- one of the nation’s foremost researchers on economic mobility and opportunity

⭐ Lisa Lawson -- President & CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and author of Thrive, bringing a powerful perspective on adolescence, opportunity and what young people need to reach their full potential

⭐ Christian Rhodes -- a national leader working at the intersection of education, policy and opportunity

And they’re joining leaders from across sectors who are ready to move beyond conversation toward action.

📍 Spartanburg, SC
📅 THRIVE 2026

If you care about education, economic mobility, philanthropy, workforce development, community change, or simply what it takes for the next generation to succeed, this conference is for you.

Seats are filling. Register today and join us at THRIVE 2026.

🔗 https://learnwithsam.org/thrive-2026

Join Thrive 2026 in Spartanburg for a national dialogue on community-driven opportunities and education. Connect with leaders and partners committed to child success.

08/24/2026

The author of Thrive is coming to THRIVE 2026. ✨

We’re excited to welcome Lisa M. Lawson, President and CEO of The Annie E. Casey Foundation, to Spartanburg on October 29.

Lawson is the author of, Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children, a powerful exploration of adolescence as a time of extraordinary growth, possibility and opportunity.

At THRIVE 2026, Lawson joins Raj Chetty, Christian Rhodes and other national leaders for conversations focused on a question that matters deeply to our work:

What does it take to create the conditions for every young person to thrive?

From the science of adolescent development to social capital, economic mobility and the power of community, THRIVE will bring national research and local action together -- right here in Spartanburg.

📅 October 29, 2026
📍 Spartanburg, SC

Join us. Register for THRIVE 2026.

08/24/2026

The author of Thrive is coming to THRIVE.

SAM is excited to announce that Lisa M. Lawson, president and CEO of The Annie E. Casey Foundation and author of "Thrive: How the Science of the Adolescent Brain Helps Us Imagine a Better Future for All Children," will join us at THRIVE 2026.

Lawson’s work asks a question that sits at the heart of our work in Spartanburg: What does it really take for a young person to thrive?

Young people need more than individual determination. They need strong relationships. Meaningful opportunities. Caring adults. Education and career pathways. And communities and systems intentionally designed to support them as they move toward adulthood.

Through Movement 2030, our community is bringing partners together across education, business, philanthropy, nonprofits and neighborhoods to strengthen the pathways that connect children and families to academic success and opportunities for economic mobility.

At THRIVE, Lawson will bring a national perspective to that work and challenge us to think even bigger about what becomes possible when communities build the conditions for young people to flourish.

Lawson joins an extraordinary national speaker lineup already including Harvard University's Dr. Raj Chetty, whose groundbreaking research is reshaping how we understand opportunity and economic mobility, and Christian Rhodes, Chief National Impact Officer at Harlem Children's Zone and a national leader in place-based, cradle-to-career strategies.

Purpose Built Communities
StriveTogether
Blue Meridian Partners
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Tickets are still available.

Learn more and register here: learnwithsam.org/thrive-2026

Everyone can thrive here.

08/21/2026

When we center students, we also surround them with support.

SAM’s Center for Postsecondary Success team recently brought together 20 parents of high school seniors from Highland, Northside and Southside, all three of Movement 2030’s focus neighborhoods, to prepare for the important year ahead.

The gathering gave families an opportunity to learn more about FAFSA, Big Mo and other key steps and resources their seniors will encounter as they make plans for life after high school. Just as importantly, Frederick Keenan, a member of the CPSS team, introduced families to the support they can expect throughout the semester and invited them to be active partners in their students’ journeys.

This is what it looks like to center the student while closing gaps in access to information, resources and opportunity.

For Movement 2030, increasing postsecondary success isn’t simply about helping students complete the next step. It’s about making sure students, particularly those in our focus neighborhoods, have the people, information and support around them to confidently navigate what comes next.

A great turnout. An important beginning. And 20 more families connected to the resources that can help their seniors move forward. 🎓