Institute for Youth Justice

05/22/2026

It began as a question - what do you do if you get pulled over? - and one woman’s vision, determination, and passion for youth and our local justice system. Today, thanks to our founder Hope Blackley and the many partners and collaborators along the way, the Institute for Youth Justice is celebrating a decade of building bridges between Spartanburg County youth and local justice officials. Last week, in a packed room filled with close to 200 friends, family, partners, and community members, we came together to recognize the graduation of the Institute’s 8th class and celebrate 10 years of impact. Thank you to those who joined us in celebrating this special milestone and to our founder Hope Blackley who saw a challenge and created an opportunity that more than 180 students across all 7 Spartanburg County School Districts, private and home schools have had the opportunity to participate in over the years. Here’s to many more!

05/13/2026

Session 5 of the Institute for Youth Justice was held today at the Spartanburg Academic Movement. This session, entitled “connecting the Dots,” was added this year thanks to the generous support of Spartanburg’s Academic Movement. We started the morning off with a career spotlight from Spartanburg county Coroner Rusty Clevenger. We then heard from Jessie Schlosser at OneSpartanburg about the many internships that are being offered through the STAR Fellowship program. Dr. Russell Booker, Spartanburg Academic Movement, joined us mid-morning to talk about the importance of knowing your personal mission, fission, and values, and charting the course ahead. Troy Hanna, Spartanburg County Foundation, shared the importance of giving your time, talent, and treasures and Dr. Simon wrapped up the morning with an engaging discussion on the importance of mental health. Thank you to everyone who helped with the planning of this new session, and to our students who were engaged and reflective on their journey over this past five months! And a special thanks to Caitlin Hazel for preparing the space and handling all logistics! Graduation here we come!

04/14/2026

Session 4 of the Institute for Youth Justice was held today at the Spartanburg County Courthouse. Thank you to our partners at the Courthouse who helped to plan this engaging morning of learning about various aspects of our local judicial system, inside and outside the courtroom. A special thanks to Clerk of Court Amy Cox and team, Solicitor Barnette and team, Circuit Court Judge - Mark Hayes, Probate Judge - Ponda Caldwell, Magistrate Judge - Tommy Wall, Magistrate Judge - David Turner, Family Court Judge - Pete Diamaduros, DJJ - Amy Wilcox, Zach Farr - private lawyer, Jamia Foster - public defender and private lawyer, SLED Agent Zharne Glover, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office - Lieutenant Bradley, Joan - Spartanburg County Baliff, Clerk of Court Supervisor - Tanya Camp, and the many who made this morning possible. Thank you for all you do every day to serve our community and your partnership in this work!

04/09/2026

Hope Blackley
It’s our 10 year Anniversary!!!!!

Please save the date for past participants, parents, school officials and sponsors!

04/09/2026

03/11/2026

Session 3 of the Institute for Youth Justice was held this morning at the Spartanburg County Detention Center. Today, the students took an in-depth tour of the facility, starting with booking and all the way in to the intake holding pods. We learned about how officers at the Detention Center are trained in the onboarding process. We watched a demo from the Special Operations Response Team. There was a Q&A session. We talked about the importance of surrounding yourself with good friends. We also heard from many of the officers as they shared their job responsibilities and passion for their work. A special thanks to Deputy Scealf, Captain Hollifield, and the many presenters who made this such a meaningful experience!

02/24/2026

Today, we visited the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office where students learned about the various divisions within the Sheriff’s Office, qualifications needed to pursue a career in this field, what to do when being pulled over, and more. What an incredible hands-on experience complete with a visit from one of the on-duty K9s. Thank you Sheriff Bill Rhyne, Captain Michelle Johnson, and the entire team who made this morning possible, and thank you for what you do every day to serve Spartanburg County residents!

02/11/2026

Today we held session 2 of the Institute for Youth Justice at the Spartanburg Police Department. What an incredible experience we had! A special thanks to Chief Alonzo Thompson, Deputy Chief Jennifer Kindall and the entire team for giving us an inside look at this part of Spartanburg’s Justice System. Thank you Mayor Jerome Rice for talking with the group about being an engaged citizen and to the many others who gave us a glimpse into the important work you do. Thanks to this year’s class too for showing up ready to engage!

01/25/2026

Hope Blackley

01/24/2026

This week we launched our 2026 cohort with the Opening Retreat, which was held at the Spartanburg County Courthouse. We have 28 amazing participants that represent 11th and 12th grade students acrossed all Spartanburg County School Districts, a charter school, and a couple private schools. Thank you to 7th Circuit Solicitor Barry Barnette along with some of his staff who participated in our opening skit - a mock trial in which Hope Blackley, founder, and Troy Hanna, president and CEO of the Spartanburg County Foundation, were charged with community engagement. We are off to a strong start and this is just the beginning!