Greenville’s Vision 2025 plan is easily touted as an envy of, and model for, cities that are considered “up and coming” or may be seeking revitalization. The rapid change and booming growth of the Upstate area since preliminary development for the current plan began in 1987 may seem miraculous to some; however, plan facilitators at leading policy agency Greenville Forward may no doubt attribute this miracle to the “out-of-the box thinking” used throughout the design and strategy phases of its creation. The six focus areas of Vision 2025 help to promote Greenville as the most livable place in the country, a highly recognized center for leadership and innovation in the arts, cultural activities, healthy living, and environmental stewardship. The inclusiveness of the next generation in the core of the plan is what makes Vision 2025 so unique amongst other municipalities’ long- term plans.
Education is a key component of the plan and the programs and activities centered on education ensure that every child in the area enters into the first grade prepared to succeed in life. Along with providing a top-notch education, Vision 2025 seeks to not simply to attract, but also to retain talent and youth in the area. This focus is demonstrated by the recently launched Head Strong initiative. Greenville Forward Program Director Brock Koonce, describes Head Strong as a “guerilla movement” targeted to and led by Greenville County youth aged 13-20. Koonce and his constituents believe that since this age group makes up the future leaders and inhabitants of Greenville, they should be included in decision making processes affecting their futures. For the third year, staff of Greenville Forward has chosen a bright and talented high school student as their intern and to essentially act as the CEO of Head Strong.
The vision of Head Strong is for youth in the area to cultivate their passions, interests and skills by strengthening their confidence and influencing positive relationships to help them “make their mark” on the world while influencing the growth of Greenville and the surrounding areas. Current Head Strong lead Ben Riddle says that the initiative has taken off at an unexpected rate from strategy and vision sessions beginning in Summer, 2011. When the first recruiting event, an “open casting call” was held in October of this year, over 150 inspired, creative and motivated youth and young adults turned out to Greenville’s downtown to connect and learn more about the program. The “sparks” that have been created thus far have grown at lightning speed and have already garnered national interest, exampled by a recent feature in acclaimed and progressive New York based business magazine Fast Company.
Head Strong has eight components modeled from Vision 2025’s six focus areas for youth to explore, including:
• Engage, where Head Strong members involve themselves in national, state and local culture and governmental concerns
• SociaLink, which allows members to contribute to “social change” by connecting with community services projects through non-profit organizations and charitable causes
• Varsity, which is a group comprised of the student body presidents of the sixteen Greenville County high schools designed to facilitate communication between the schools
• Inclusion, is where teens in neighborhoods and “pocket communities” build relationships across cultural divides in an attempt to break down any existing social and diversity barriers
• the Media component creates a network to market the Head Strong movement through social media avenues
• Express, focuses on the arts by aligning young local talent to Greenville’s established arts community • Launch connects the Head Strong generation with Upstate business, community planning and entrepreneurship opportunities
• Grow, is a “green” initiative where youth are encouraged to practice sustainability in agriculture, health, wellness and social responsibility by working with local farmers, gardening organizations and sustainable agriculture programs
Members of Head Strong are called “agents” and “catalysts.” According to Riddle, inclusiveness is the key to the success of Head Strong. He says that “all of the students and youth in the area are ‘agents of change’ for the Head Strong movement whether they know it or not.” If a particular student is disengaged in school or in life, it is the duty of the Head Strong agent or catalyst to reach out and help them find their place. Of the organizational structure of Head Strong, Ben says that while most movements such as this become tainted with “top-down” approaches to leadership and style, in Greenville’s youth movement, the ideas and foundation come from the youth themselves creating a style that he calls “magic in the middle.” Riddle, a senior at Mauldin High says he is committed to the long term advancement of the Upstate. Following the innovative approaches of Vision 2025 along with the passion and energy of the members, Greenville Forward’s Head Strong campaign is helping to mobilize the next generation of “big thinkers and bold dreamers.”