Friday
5pm: Early registration. Buffet dinner*
Saturday
7am: Breakfast*
8am: Registration
Meeting begins at 9am sharp!
Welcome to Penn Center — Executive Director Dr. Robert L. Adams, Jr.
Retreat Purpose —SC Progressive Network Education Fund Board member Cecil Cahoon — Weekend overview and objectives
Introductions — Who’s in the room? Why are they in the room?
Brett Bursey SC Progressive Network Executive Director — brief history and mission of the organization, and plans for 2025–2026
Network project updates
- Election Protection
- Missing Voter Project
- Fair Maps
- GROW
- The Modjeska Simkins School
Noon: Lunch in the cafeteria*
1:30pm: Unpacking the election — a reality check. What difference did it make in South Carolina?
2:30 — Dr. Robert Greene II, lead instructor of the Modjeska Simkins School, will give a condensed session on SC history
3:30 — Break
4pm – Erin Dale McClellan, Executive Director of The Partnership Fund, will lead a power mapping exercise
5pm: Healthy Democracy Road Show 2025 — it’s about education. We will discuss the Network’s 2014 road show and our plans for a relaunch this winter. After we talk about it as a group, we will break out by region/city for brainstorming and practical organizing.
6pm: Break
7pm: Dinner — Fish fry and veggie burgers*
8pm: Songs and stories around the campfire. Musicians are invited to bring their instruments for a group sing-along.
Sunday
8am: Breakfast*
9am: A People’s History Game Show. Jeopardy with a twist.
9:30am — Local groups share their plans and projects
10am — Culture as an organizing tool
11am — Meet in plenary for retreat recap, final thoughts, and next steps
Noon: Lunch*
Sunday afternoon: Field trip to view and correct the memorial marker of abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s Combahee River raid.
Meals catered by Columbia chef Joe Turkey.
* Except for the fish fry on Saturday, meals will be vegetarian with vegan options.