Want to up your game in 2025? The Modjeska Simkins School is now accepting applications for its spring session, which begins March 3 and runs through the end of June. Classes meet Monday evenings on Zoom and in-person at GROW in Columbia.
The session marks the 10th year that the school has taught civics, organizing strategies, and a people’s history of South Carolina to students of all ages and backgrounds. The school also offers Sunday programs during the session that are free and open to the public.
“We welcome anyone interested in understanding and better navigating our state’s social and political landscape,” said Brett Bursey, executive director of the SC Progressive Network, the nonprofit that started the school in 2015. “Whether you are a lover of history, an activist seeking ways to be more effective in your work, a retired person wanting to get involved in your community, or a transplant who wants to know the peculiar history of South Carolina, this course will benefit you.”
Dr. Robert Greene II, who teaches at Claflin University and has served as the Modjeska Simkins School’s lead instructor since 2019, said, “The Modjeska Simkins School remains a bulwark for truth against disinformation. At the Modjeska School, we believe in not only learning history for the sake of knowing our past, but learning how to think critically and how to think democratically. Contrary to popular belief, there is a tradition of human rights—exemplified by Modjeska Simkins herself—in South Carolina.”
The curriculum, reflecting the Network’s state-based strategy, focuses on South Carolina, which continues to play an over-sized role in out nation’s politics. The course material is ever-evolving to include the latest research and historical analyses. There is nothing like it, not just in South Carolina but nationally.
The school is a challenging but rewarding experience for the folks who complete the course. Not everyone does. Those who do, however, find it deepens their understanding of the place they call home and sharpens their skills for thriving in the Palmetto State.
Here are comments from some of last year’s students.
Classes for the spring session will meet Mondays 6:30–8:30pm on Zoom and in-person at GROW, 1340 Elmwood Ave. in Columbia.
Registration closes Feb. 17. The course includes 16 evening classes, Sunday Deep Dives, and in-depth study guides. Tuition is based on a sliding scale, and limited full scholarships are available.
For details about the spring session or to apply, go HERE.