Spartanburg Residents Needed for Civic Health Survey 2015

Spartanburg Community Indicators Project is collecting data on the civic health of Spartanburg County during the month of September.

This short survey created by the Metropolitan Studies Institute assesses volunteering, connecting with the community, giving and political participation.  It takes less than 5 minutes online at www.strategicspartanburg.org.  Paper copies in English and Spanish are also available.

“Spartanburg County Public Libraries are committed to making Spartanburg County a place all residents love and are proud to call home,” said Elizabeth Bass, Community Engagement Librarian, Spartanburg County Public Libraries.  “The first step in that process is determining the current state of civic health, and we need everyone’s help to get an accurate picture.  The Civic Health Survey provides residents the opportunity to contribute personally to the quality and future of their community.”

“We are excited to offer this survey to the community,” Becky Slayton, Director, Spartanburg Community Indicators Project, said. “This information is essential for our Civic Health Report which will be released November 17.  We have state and national civic health data and this survey will allow us to see how we compare and where we’d like to improve.”

“Never before has Civic Health been measured in Spartanburg County,” noted Dr. Kathleen Brady, Vice Chancellor of Planning, Institutional Research and Metropolitan Studies Institute at USC Upstate.  “This survey is aligned with recognized national indicators.  It is our opportunity to analyze a series of factors – political participation, community involvement, neighborhood engagement and philanthropy – that, taken together, give a clear picture of the engagement of our citizens.  The results will allow us to envision and plan for a more participatory and engaged community.”

Spartanburg Community Indicators Project presents data and engages the community in dialogue and strategy that leads to positive change in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.  The Project facilitates organizations and individuals as they actively promote civic prosperity by using community indicator data to inform and guide their progress.

The Project partners with Indicator Area Leaders to improve outcomes in each of its six Indicator Areas.  These organizations set improvement goals based on indicator data and lead individuals, businesses and community groups to coordinate efforts and information, thus facilitating steady progress in quality of life improvement.  The Spartanburg County Public Libraries serves as Indicator Area Leader for Civic Health.

Spartanburg Community Indicators Project (SCIP) is a collaboration of six Sponsoring Partners: The Spartanburg County Foundation, United Way of the Piedmont, Spartanburg County, University of South Carolina Upstate, Mary Black Foundation and Spartanburg Regional Foundation.