Keowee Springs

Cliffs Residents Outreach (CRO) provides resources and funding for student-centered projects designed to support lifelong success for local children, many of whom are economically and socially challenged. Funded by Cliffs property owners and corporate partners and managed by a resident board of volunteers, Cliffs Residents Outreach is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Each Cliffs community has its own chapter and operates independently. Springs CRO supports Six Mile Elementary (SME), Central Academy of the Arts Magnet Elementary (CAC), R.C. Edwards Middle School (RCE) and D.W. Daniel High School (DWD)and their 3,000 students. In addition, Springs CRO supports the Six Mile Recreation Center and Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The Springs CRO enlists resident Springs volunteers to engage in fundraising, mentoring and tutoring activities.

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Overview

Fundraising by the Springs CRO Council is focused on an annual auction event. Springs CRO 2024 – 2025 fundraising generated approximately $525,000 from all sources, an increase of 140% over prior year, and approved a record $465,000 to fund worthy educational projects.
Funds were used to purchase books, software and computer equipment for the schools four media centers, upgrades to the Pickens County School District Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) mobile laboratory, swim lessons, field trips, special author appearances, outdoor education, and scholarships for graduating seniors.
Volunteer mentoring and tutoring are a significant portion of the value Springs CRO provides to the community. To date, Springs CRO has maintained 45-50 Springs residents as mentors who help students to reach their potential in elementary, middle and high school. Academic tutoring has focused on reading and math but has expanded to other areas of study at R.C. Edwards Middle School and D.W. Daniel High School. CRO has enlisted 60 tutors and general volunteers to help with needs that arise throughout the year and continues to look for more help.

Our Funding Focus

Literacy Initiatives

 

 

 

 

The 2024-25 school year has seen great strides in the pursuit of Literacy. Our funds provided and enabled…

  • Provided for the completion of Phase I of the renovation and reimagining of the DWD Library Learning Commons. The open concept and flexibility of the new bookcases allow for multiple groups to utilize the area at the same.
  • Provided hundreds of new books to each School’s Media Center/LLC. These purchases will help to increase the South Carolina Education Standards rating for our Media Centers, but more importantly, excite students to read.
  • Purchased robots for the two elementary schools so that all students could begin to learn programming, thereby integrating STEM with Reading.
  • Allowed elementary students to participate in a Literary Bingo Game and win tickets to the DWD High School basketball game where they each received a copy of the book a former Harlem Globetrotter read to them and autographed the books. This special event combining athletics with reading was a “slam-dunking, alley-ooping, high-flying” hit!
  • Permitted RCE to assemble a team to compete in The Battle Of The Books. Students read 12 books selected from the South Carolina Junior Book Awards nominees and then were tested on their knowledge. The winning RCE team competed against the teams of other schools by answering numerous questions, many of which required critical thinking.
  • Enabled Central Academy of the Arts to participate in the One Book/One School Program. Everyone read the same basic story and then the actual author spoke and answered questions for each assembly. Author events are significant because they offer a unique opportunity for direct interaction between authors and readers, fostering a deeper connection to the work and creating a sense of community.


Mobile STEM Lab (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)


 

This year, the Mobile STEM Lab brought engaging, hands-on STEM experiences to 10 schools across the Pickens County School District (PCSD). Over 4,100 students were served by this outstanding teaching and engagement tool that addresses real-world technical developments and issues. The program has four goals, which include:

  • Increasing STEM access across all PCSD schools
    • 9 of 14 elementary schools were visited; 4,168 students engaged; 1 high school
  • Boosting student engagement with hands-on STEM
    • Feedback was used to refine activities which included real- world challenges
  • Extended learning through iTECH
    • Ready-to-use lessons, teacher usage reservation system
  • Promoting innovation and future-ready skills
    • Tech tools including robotics, programming, engineering drawings, virtual reality


Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education was a new Fund the Need Initiative this year at the behest of the principals at all four of our schools, who cited the importance of its beneficial effects from an academic and health perspective.

According to numerous studies, including those conducted by researchers at Clemson University, outdoor education increases academic performance and positive mental health outcomes in children.

  • Six Mile Elementary received funding for a fully operational, shaded outdoor classroom, an outdoor cafeteria and an inviting outdoor courtyard adjacent to the library. These improvements will ensure that children are given the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and center themselves, which fosters productive learning.
  • Central Academy of the Arts has grown to capacity, with more students than ever moving into the Central area. Springs CRO provided funding for an outdoor classroom and the beginnings of an outdoor mini-theater. These improvements will ensure that children are given the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and provide much needed space for learning. The school will be seeking additional, creative ways to serve the growing number of enrolled students.
  • RC Edwards received tri-sail shade coverings for the outdoor classroom, enabling its use throughout the school year. Springs CRO bought hammocks for outdoor learning experiences.
  • DW Daniel’s Courtyard Phase 1 received funding for outdoor furniture for all students to use as classroom, club meeting space and optional lunch space.
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RCE Amphitheater
Daniel sails
Outdoor classroom 3
SME sails



Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL)

Early childhood literacy continues to remain a focus of Springs CRO. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides free books monthly to children from birth to age 5. A highly qualified Board selects books appropriate to each age level. Book titles change each year. The cost per book is only $2.25 which includes mailing.

Springs CRO funds this literacy program for 450 children in our area, assisting DPIL in providing books to children who might not otherwise have access. Additionally, this year we contributed funds to assist with other Pickens County towns that needed temporary support.


Career Cafe

Fueled by the belief that visions of future career options should enhance students’ academic focus at present, Springs CRO started a Career Café program for DWD students in Spring 2023. Working with the school Career Counselor, volunteers participated in monthly informal lunchtime sessions that exposed students to different career paths.

Keowee Springs, Falls, and a Cliffs employee were the featured speakers at these sessions. Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, volunteers covered careers in IT, Marketing, Pharmaceuticals, AV Tech, Manufacturing, Hospitality, and Family Practice Medicine. Along with the speakers, Springs CRO provided lunch for up to 42 students each session.

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Mentoring, Tutoring & Volunteering

 Mentoring
  • The Springs CRO Mentoring Program maintained 45-50 trained and approved mentors throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Mentors support students from SME, RCE, and DWD HS, as well as students who have moved to other area schools in the district.
  • Springs continues to have the largest number of active mentors across all the Cliffs communities and throughout the Pickens, Powdersville, and Anderson YMCA coverage area. The Springs CRO Council works closely with the YMCA Mentor Director and Mentor Coordinator.
Tutoring and Volunteering
  • The Springs Tutoring and Volunteering Program responded to requests from school administrators for various programs throughout the school year and met weekly with kids at SME and RCE. Volunteers periodically supported two classrooms at Central Academy of the Arts and the Media Specialist at DWD in her strategic plan to transform the library. At SME, a weekly program was added that allowed students struggling with reading to read to one of two certified therapy dogs, accompanied by their owners from Keowee Springs.
  • Our Tutoring and Volunteering Programs had 60 volunteers (half of whom are also mentors).
  • New and existing Springs community members continue to get involved as they become familiar with the CRO and its in-school programs via our ongoing social media updates, in-person informational open houses, and one-on-one meetings with new members.
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News

Therapy Dog Supports CRO Literacy Efforts

Bogey, a certified therapy dog owned by Springs member Cathy Daly, is enhancing Springs CRO’s efforts to increase literacy at Six Mile Elementary. Bogey is experienced in interacting with children, having honed his therapy skills in Chicago.  He has a rating of “complex”, which means he can work in any environment and setting.

As a non-judgmental listener, Bogey’s comforting presence helps reluctant readers to build confidence reading aloud, which develops their sight-reading capabilities and reading comprehension skills and enhances their self-esteem.

Studies have shown that children who read with a dog like Bogey once a week over the school year improve their fluency and accuracy by more than 12 percent over those students who do not have such an opportunity.

Springs CRO Funds FAA-Certified Flight Simulator for D.W. Daniel High School

Springs CRO has partnered with The Daniel Foundation (PTA) and the US Air Force to fund the purchase of a FAA-Certified flight simulator for DWD.  The flight simulator will strengthen the ROTC program for the 100+ students involved and enable the addition of a robust aeronautics and flight class at DWD.

Use of the simulator will provide certified flight hours toward pilot licenses.  By taking the course on the DWD campus rather than at the Career Center, students will gain time that can be spent on academics in school.

Camp iRock Summer Reading Program Receives CRO Funding

 

Springs CRO has provided funding to United Way to enable 10 students from Six Mile Elementary School (SME) and Central Academy of the Arts (CAA) to attend the summer reading program at Camp iRock.

Camp iRock helps children improve their reading abilities while enjoying summer fun at camp. Facilitated by certified teachers and trained counselors, its unique curriculum is designed to help close the achievement gap and prevent at-risk children from falling behind over the summer months.

Third grade reading levels are a strong predictor of societal outcomes. Students are invited to participate in Camp iRock based on their academic qualifications provided by their Reading Coaches.

CRO Receives Champions for Public Education Award

 

 

Cliffs Residents Outreach (CRO) has been selected by the South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) to receive the Champions for Public Education Award. The award is presented to community residents or entities whose support and contributions have significantly benefited public schools.

The School District of Pickens County Board of Trustees nominated CRO “because of its invaluable contributions of time and resources to support public schools, serving as a role model for all of South Carolina.”

Springs CRO Funds Playing Field Repair for Six Mile Recreaction

Springs CRO funded field rehabilitation at Ponderosa Park for the Six Mile Recreation Department so that more kids could participate in outdoor sports. This field project will allow additional softball and T-ball teams to be formed to serve children who previously were unable to participate. Pictured is the reclaimed playing field graded, leveled, prepped with Baseball Mix and ready for grass.

Visiting Author Engages Readers at Central Academy

 

 

Students at Central Academy of the Arts enjoyed a visit from author Dion Leonard on April 14th as part of the One Book, One School Program. This amazing opportunity allowed everyone in the school to read the same basic story. Laughter, questions and excitement filled the students’ minds on subjects such as climate, animals, marathons, cultures, the importance of love and friendship, and much more. A day to celebrate learning!

Springs CRO Supports Special Olympics at Daniel

An enjoyable and successful Special Education Olympics event was held at DWD on April 24th. Roughly 25 students from our local elementary schools engaged in various sporting competitions, cheered on by attending parents, teachers and 50+ Daniel students who worked the event. Springs CRO funded box lunches for participants.

Six Mile Elementary Dedicates Outdoor Learning Space

Students and teachers at Six Mile Elementary and Administrators from Pickens County School District dedicated a newly constructed outdoor classroom, funded by Springs CRO. The Springs CRO council was honored with a plaque and escorted to view the outdoor improvements, that include an outdoor classroom, a courtyard conducive to meeting or reading, and the early phase of a raised garden and greenhouse.

Cliffs Member Sponsors Daniel Student at CECA Internationals

When DWD student, Arjun Jain, attended the Springs CRO Career Cafe in April 2024, he met Springs member Derek Lunka, who spoke about his career in financial planning and his local business, Lakenorth Investment Group. Intrigued by what he heard, Arjun reached out to Derek to learn more.

As an outgrowth of this encounter, Derek’s Lakenorth Investment Group sponsored Arjun during his recent trip to Orlando, FL, where he competed against 25,000 high school students at DECA International Career Development Conference. Arjun achieved a Top 10 Finalist placement and a Top 20 Exam Score in his category, the Business Finance Series.

Springs CRO congratulates Arjun and thanks Derek for participating in the Career Cafe Program, which continues to make an impact on the students we support.

CRO-Supported Mobile STEM Lab Achieves Huge Success

The “Driving Innovation” initiative, led by the Pickens County School District and supported by Springs and Vineyards CRO, Clemson University and Duke Power, has achieved a huge success during the 2024–25 school year.

The Mobile Learning Lab, under the leadership of Katie Britton, has brought hands-on STEM experiences to students across the entire district, directly reaching 4,168 students across 10 schools, including 9 of 14 elementary campuses. These immersive experiences helped to ignite curiosity, foster collaboration, and introduce students to real-world challenges in engaging, meaningful ways.

“Driving Innovation” has met goals across an array of success metrics:

  • Increased access to STEM opportunities in every feeder area.
  • Boosted student engagement through thoughtfully designed, feedback- driven activities with career connections and collaboration at the core.
  • Demonstrated effective technology integration across numerous grade- levels and content areas.
  • Piloted new technology like Sphero Bolt, SAM Labs, Cubelets, 3D printers, and Sphero Indi.
  • Procured emerging tech tools like VR Headsets, Ozobots, and Blueprint Engineering Kits.
  • Laid the groundwork for iTECH, a new tool rental program launching Fall 2025 to extend learning into classrooms.
  • Highlighted and celebrated student success stories, growing awareness and excitement through local news outlets, social media (@SDPCtechsavy) and at bit.ly/sdpcdrivinginnovation.


DWD's Linked Crew Program Helps Freshmen Succeed

Springs CRO financially supports DWD’s Linked Crew Program. This successful nationwide program is spearheaded by DWD’s principal and supported by two trained faculty leaders, plus 50 student leaders. Linked Crew enhances the culture of the school by creating bonds among grade levels.

Entering freshmen are helped to acclimate to high school with the support of upper-class student mentors. The linkage between freshmen and mentors continues through the first year and beyond.

This year, Springs CRO funded program training for an additional staff leader and a training day comprised of multiple sessions for 50 student leaders at Clemson’s Outdoor Lab.


Springs CRO Supports Daniel HS Library Transition

Thanks to Springs members’ generosity to CRO, the transition of the DWD Library Learning Commons is off to an amazing start. Phase I of this project begins the transformation of the LLC into a more open, welcoming and flexible learning environment. Springs CRO thanks all volunteers who helped place books on the new rolling shelves in time for school to begin, so that students and faculty could see Phase 1 results.


Outdoor Classroom Sails Provide Shade for Returning Students

One of Springs CRO’s Fund the Need projects this past school year was outdoor education. Using funds designated for this purpose, Spring CRO purchased outdoor sails to provide shade at the outdoor classrooms of RCE and SME and the courtyard at DWD.  The sails extend the time that the outdoor space is in use.  DWD students can enjoy the multi-purpose courtyard with furniture provided by Springs CRO. This area will be heavily utilized for classes, clubs and other activities throughout the year.



SME Students Learn About Literary Genres

Students at Six Mile Elementary are learning about a new genre of literature each month with a wall highlighting books from a particular classification. Understanding genres helps students understand writing styles, as well as the structures and conventions of different types of literature. Springs CRO volunteers assisted in color-coding the books by genre.

Videos

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Mentoring, Tutoring and Volunteering

The Springs CRO Mentoring Program maintained 45-50 trained and approved mentors throughout the 2024-2025 school Mentors support students from SME, RCE, and DWD HS, as well as students who have moved to other area schools in the district.

Springs continues to have the largest number of active mentors across all the Cliffs communities and throughout the Pickens, Powdersville, and Anderson YMCA coverage area. The Springs CRO Council works closely with the YMCA Mentor Director and Mentor Coordinator.

Watch The Springs CRO Mentoring Videos

For more information about volunteering or mentoring, please contact Patty Stevens at Pkrstephens@gmail.com.

Tutoring and Volunteering

 The Springs Tutoring and Volunteering Program responded to requests from school administrators for various programs throughout the school year and met weekly with kids at SME and RC Volunteers periodically supported two classrooms at Central Academy of the Arts and the Media Specialist at DWD in her strategic plan to transform the library. At SME, a weekly program was added which allowed students struggling with reading to read to one of two certified therapy dogs, accompanied by their owners from Keowee Springs.

Our Tutoring and Volunteering Programs had 60 volunteers (half of whom are also mentors).

New and existing Springs community members continue to get involved as they become familiar with the CRO and its in-school programs via our ongoing social media updates, in-person informational open houses, and one-on-one meetings with new members.

Presenting Corporate Partner

CRO is grateful for the ongoing generous support of our Corporate Partners which plays an important part in reaching our goals. Please support them if you are in need of their goods or join us in thanking them for their commitment to our mission!

Our Corporate Partners Make a Difference.

DIAMOND LEVEL
TITANIUM LEVEL
PLATINUM LEVEL
GOLD LEVEL
SILVER LEVEL
BRONZE LEVEL
  • Eagle Mountain Winery
  • Miller Time to Travel
  • Singleton Marine
  • The Dental Retreat
For information about becoming a Corporate Partner, please contact Scott Wallace

Advisory Council

  • Kelly Bodine, Springs CRO Advisory Council Chair & Member of CRO Board of Directors
  • Kelly Bodine, Business Development Lead
  • Kelly Bodine, Donor Development Lead, SME & CAA School Liaison
  • Liz Claggett, Literacy Lead
  • Erin Dougherty, Secretary
  • Don Fulop, CRO Technology Lead
  • Joy Ives, Events Lead and Member of CRO Board of Directors
  • Lauren Lunka, Six Mile Recreation Lead
  • Tina Schmidt, Treasurer
  • Adam Senter, DWD and RCE School Liason
  • Patty Stephens, Mentoring, Tutoring and Volunteering
  • Priscilla Wallace, Communications Lead
  • Scott Wallace, President of CRO and Springs CRO Advisor

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