Simple Civics: Greenville County

Latest Episodes:

Greenville Together: Tackling Homelessness with a Bold Community Plan Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Discover how Greenville Together is urgently tackling homelessness head-on with a bold, collaborative, and data-driven plan. Learn about their innovative housing surge, the vital role of people with lived experience, and the critical need for permanent supportive housing in the community. Join the conversation to understand the strategies aiming to functionally end homelessness and transform lives in Greenville.

Links:

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

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Inside the 7th Largest Children's Museum in America: Where Play at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate Shapes Future Careers May 27, 2025

Show notes

The Children's Museum of the Upstate isn't just a place for kids - it's a $339 million economic engine for Greenville County. CEO Lauren Luneckas explains how this Smithsonian affiliate became the 7th largest children's museum in America and reveals multiple ways adults can volunteer, support, and engage with this community treasure. Discover why creating spaces truly built for children fosters better citizens and stronger communities.

Links:

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

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Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

40 Years of Wonder: How Roper Mountain Science Center Transforms Curiosity into a Career May 20, 2025

Show notes

"I went into engineering because of Roper Mountain." In this heartwarming episode, Director Michael Weeks shares stories of how Roper Mountain Science Center has shaped careers and ignited curiosity across generations for 40 years. Get an insider's tour of this Greenville treasure which serves every elementary and middle school in Greenville County while also offering public programs like - from their popular butterfly encounter and marine touch tanks to their observatory housing North America's eighth largest refractor telescope. Learn about their exciting summer offerings, including camps where kids build robots and solve mysteries, and the new Wild Kratts exhibit that brings the popular PBS show to life. Whether you're a longtime visitor or have never experienced the mountain's magic, this episode will inspire your next science adventure.

Links:

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

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Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

‘The West End’s’ Hidden Gem’: Kids Find Their Voice at South Carolina Children’s Theatre May 13, 2025

Show notes

Step inside Greenville's magical theater wonderland where disco balls spin, Hogwarts comes alive, and Finding Nemo swims across the stage! This conversation with South Carolina Children's Theatre's leadership team unveils the joyful world waiting for your family this summer. Visualize your child crafting potions at Hogwarts camp, playing Quidditch, or performing alongside 40 peers in a full musical production. Hear how families create lifelong memories together - from grandparents to toddlers - in a place where 200+ children recently experienced live theater for the very first time. With performances across two unique stages, classes for every age, and countless ways to engage, you'll discover why SCCT has been Greenville's premier family destination for nearly 40 years. Located downtown with convenient parking, your next unforgettable family adventure awaits!

Links:

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

Ability in Action: Thrive Upstate May 06, 2025

Show notes

Sixty years ago, a mother's grassroots effort sparked what would become Thrive Upstate, now redefining ability for 600 individuals with intellectual disabilities across Greenville County. Executive Director Tyler Rex shares how this innovative quasi-governmental organization transforms tax dollars into life-changing opportunities - from residents performing at the Peace Center to employees working at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Drawing from his eight years of leadership and personal experience as a father of children with disabilities, Tyler reveals how community partnerships are creating a Greenville where everyone contributes their unique abilities.

Links:

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

When Invisible Lines Rule: State, County, and City Borders Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

Some South Carolinians have gone to bed in one state and woken up in another - without ever moving. When surveyors corrected centuries-old border errors, residents discovered their property had legally "teleported" overnight. Katy and Nathaniel reveal how colonial mapmakers with faulty compasses, river disputes, and political maneuvering created the bizarre patchwork of boundaries that now determine your tax rate, emergency response times, and even whether you can keep backyard chickens. Discover why city maps look like Swiss cheese, where you really are when you're floating down the Savannah River, and how these invisible lines from the 1600s are silently shaping your daily life in 2025. Listen to uncover which services you might be missing based on your address, then grab your hiking boots to walk the actual zigzag Carolina border yourself.

Links:

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

Keeping the Green in Greenville: The Civics Lessons of Trees Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

When Hurricane Helene toppled centuries-old white oaks while sparing seemingly fragile maples, it revealed hidden truths about resilience beneath our feet. As Greenville recovers from two historic environmental disasters, TreesUpstate's Aaron Davis shares a surprising statistic: despite our "green" reputation, Greenville's 36% tree canopy lags behind Atlanta and Charlotte's 45%. Discover how an 1872 newspaper editor united a post-Civil War nation by planting one million trees in a single day - a tradition that predates Earth Day by nearly a century. Between fallen giants and forest fires, learn why meeting your neighbors with shovels in hand might be our most powerful act of civic optimism for generations we'll never meet.

Links:

TreesUpstate

South Carolina Forestry Commission

Arbor Day

Earth Day

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

Cities, Towns, Places, and ZIP Codes: Decoding Greenville County's Hidden Boundaries Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

Your mailbox says "Taylors," your neighbors call it "Greenville," and your GPS has its own opinion entirely. Behind this geographical identity crisis lies a system that determines your tax bill, your services, and whether you can vote in this year's municipal elections. Join Katy and Nathaniel as they decode the invisible boundaries that shape daily life in Greenville County - revealing why Taylors isn't legally a town, why a Greenville address doesn’t mean you get a Greenville city vote, and how these distinctions impact where your tax dollars go. Whether you've lived here for decades or just arrived, discover where you actually live before heading to the polls in 2025.

Links:

Episode on Municipal Elections: https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/vote-smart-your-ultimate-guide-to-greenvilles-local-elections/

Census-Designated Places in Greenville County: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Census-designated_places_in_Greenville_County,_South_Carolina

Map of Greenville County Zip Codes: https://www.gcgis.org/website/Docs/zipcode11x17.pdf

Political Boundaries within Greenville County: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/Council/RedistrictingMaps/CountywideRedistricting_Feb1.pdf

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

Canvas to Career: The Fine Arts Center Turns 50 Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Celebrating 50 years of excellence, Greenville County Schools Fine Arts Center has generated millions in scholarship offers for its students - yet Director Vee Popat measures success by how each young artist develops as a whole person, whether they become Broadway performers or scientists with creative thinking skills. Step inside this nationally-recognized creative ecosystem where architecture students tackle homelessness solutions and teenagers master professional mindsets alongside their artistic crafts.

Links:

The Fine Arts Center website: https://www.fineartscenter.net/

Previous episode on Roper Mountain Science Center: https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/from-classroom-to-career-the-power-of-public-private-partnerships-in-education/

The Fine Arts Center's performance calendar/events page: https://www.fineartscenter.net/calendar/

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.

Eviction's Permanent Tattoo: Healing Greenville's Hidden Crisis Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

In Greenville County, an eviction filing follows you for life like a permanent tattoo - even if you win your case. With 20% of local renters facing eviction (compared to just 8% nationally), this crisis isn't just creating homelessness; it's costing landlords up to $5,000 per case and driving up housing costs for everyone. Experts Tina Belge and Mario Brown reveal why property owners and tenant advocates have surprisingly united around four key reforms that could transform evictions from "a cause of poverty" into an opportunity for community prosperity. The solutions are ready - but is Greenville?

Links:

Project Website - https://evictioningvlcounty.org/

Tina Belge bio - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-belge-mpa-aicp-b536b567

Mario Brown bio - https://www.affordableupstate.com/team/mario-e-brown

"The Eviction Epidemic" Episode - https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/the-eviction-epidemic-unraveling-the-crisis-and-solutions-in-south-carolina/

"Understanding Evictions" Episode - https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/evictions-understanding-south-carolinas-rental-challenges-and-protecting-your-rights/

Produced by Podcast Studio X.

Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville.

Get in touch.

Support Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contribution.