Empowering young people from under-resourced neighborhoods to become confident, productive and principled members of society through excellence in academics.
At Meeting Street Academy, we believe in the power of a rigorous and inspiring educational experience to put young people from all economic backgrounds on the path to success. Our model of excellence is built upon academic challenge, development of character and partnership with family. We provide under-resourced families with a life-changing opportunity for their children to learn what it takes to succeed both inside and outside of the classroom.
Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg (MSA) was founded in 2012 as a private school serving students from under-resourced neighborhoods across Spartanburg County. When the school was established in downtown Spartanburg, it served 3K and 4K students, with plans to grow into a full early childhood and elementary school. During its first four years, Meeting Street Academy grew tremendously, and its results confirmed that providing a rigorous educational environment for pre-K students leads to a foundation of high level academic performance in elementary school.
In 2016, Meeting Street Academy and Spartanburg School District 7 entered into a public-private partnership. This partnership was established to align with District 7’s mission of inspiring and equipping an increasing number of 3- and 4-year-old students in the City of Spartanburg. Now a public neighborhood school serving the Highland, Hampton Heights and downtown areas of Spartanburg, MSA and District 7 work closely with one another to ensure that the highest quality of education is offered to City residents.
Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg is one of four schools that make up Meeting Street Schools, a network of schools in South Carolina that were founded on the belief that all children deserve an excellent education regardless of their geographic or socioeconomic circumstances, and that all children have the ability to excel in the classroom. For the full history of Meeting Street Schools, visit Meeting Street Schools’ website.
Kyndran Hilton, former Dean of Curriculum at Meeting Street Academy, has been promoted to Principal at Meeting Street. After beginning her career with Teach for America at Rockbridge Elementary School in Georgia while completing her Master’s in Spanish and Education, she returned home to her native Spartanburg to join Meeting Street Academy. Her experience includes classroom teaching as well as leading curriculum and instruction.
At Meeting Street Academy we are committed to providing all children with the educational opportunity that we believe is a fundamental right. Our mission insists that our schools support academic achievement. Students’ academic achievement depends on our ability to teach a strong academic curriculum and develop the personal skills of our students. At MSA we focus on the development of grit, gratitude, optimism, empathy, citizenship, integrity, self-control and curiosity because strength in each of these areas is a high indicator for success in school, work and relationships.
Meeting Street Academy’s educational belief is that strength of character is equally as important as academic progress in the long-term success of a child growing into a responsible, productive citizen of our community. To that end, we have designed our character development curriculum to be interwoven into every aspect of our students’ academic education.
The character development curriculum that Meeting Street Academy has created is not a program.
It’s a mindset.
Managing Emotions, Thoughts, and BehaviorsChildren with self-control pay attention and resist distractions. They follow directions, get to work right away, and work steadily toward completion. Self-Control means acting respectfully – being respectful of others, respectful of ourselves, and respectful of the community.
Exploring and QuestioningCurious children are never bored because their lively minds are actively engaged in experiences. They ask and answer questions to deepen their understanding, actively listen to others, and seek out things that interest them.
Working Respectfully and Responsibly with Others for Our Community
Good citizenship in our children is seen in their consideration for the well-being of others, in solving conflict constructively, and in following the rules that lead to a productive, safe, and happy community.
Being Aware of and Grateful for Opportunities and Good Things Happening
Grateful children say thank you and appreciate the people and opportunities in their lives. We include gratitude in every experience, good or bad, large or small, because it helps us learn.
Expecting the Best for the Future and Working to Achieve It
Children who have a positive attitude even when things don’t go as planned display successful problem-solving skills, an upbeat outlook, and a happy approach to each day.
Behaving in a Way that is Honest, Sincere, and Genuine
Children with integrity tell the truth, even when it may result in negative consequences, and they have a strong sense of justice.
Understanding and Sharing the Feelings of Others
Kindness, understanding, and empathy are all especially important in early education, where children begin to cultivate the ability to take on a variety of perspectives and act with concern for others.
Reaching your Goals despite ObstaclesChildren with grit are focused and show persistence when a math problem is hard, when their blocks keep toppling over, or when they are searching for the right word to use in a story. Children with grit are resilient in their academic and personal lives, and bounce back when things don’t go as expected.
The Path to Success begins with Meeting Street Academy teachers knowing how children most effectively learn. Children learn academics most easily when they have strong social skills that let them take a positive role in classroom life. At MSA, we use Responsive Classroom, which offers strategies for teaching that create a safe, challenging and joyful classroom and school-wide climate for all children.
A healthy, well-rounded responsive classroom routinely practices the following:
As cited by Nobel Laureate and human development expert, James J. Heckman, “Early childhood education fosters cognitive skills along with attentiveness, motivation, self-control and sociability- the charter skills that turn knowledge into know-how and people into productive citizens.” At MSS, students begin their schooling as three and four year olds in a program that gives them a strong foundation in:
At MSA Spartanburg, we strive to help develop young minds by inspiring curiosity and creativity through purposeful play and nurturing guidance. Through our interactive and discovery-based learning model, children gain a strong foundation of early literacy and numeracy skills that sets the stage for future academic success and that instills a love of learning and continual discovery.
Research shows that social-emotional intelligence is one of the best indicators of future success. MSA Spartanburg weaves character development and life skills into daily experiences so that each child learns how to handle their emotions and how to work and interact with other individuals in a positive manner. Through our Path to Success traits, each child learns the importance of demonstrating grit, gratitude, optimism, empathy, citizenship, integrity, self-control, and curiosity.
MSA Spartanburg teaches healthy living and encourages each child to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Students master gross motor skills through regular PE classes and daily outdoor play. As students slide, climb, and run on the playground, teachers encourage and challenge students to learn proper techniques for movement and balance. Teachers also take their classes on frequent walks through downtown Spartanburg and to the neighboring parks. Inside the classroom, teachers frequently work with students to build their fine motor skills through a variety of activities such as weaving, lacing, cutting and tearing paper, and stringing beads.
Wit and Wisdom, our ELA curriculum, is full of rich, authentic texts that students hold in their hands and explore. These books cover topics that are relevant to their lives and that keep them engaged. The lessons are designed to allow students to read amazing texts several times to uncover themes and life lessons the author relays to us through craft and creativity. Our young authors then apply what they have learned to their own written works of art.
Eureka Math helps teachers deliver unparalleled math instruction that provides students with a deep understanding of fluency in math. Crafted by teachers and math scholars, the curriculum carefully sequences the mathematical progressions to maximize coherence from Prekindergarten through Precalculus – a principle tested and proven to be essential in students’ mastery of math.
Our mindfulness curriculum, Minds Up, has been featured in several documentaries due to its ability to empower students to monitor and manage their emotions, remain calm in the face of adversity, and to stay focused on learning so their brains continue to grow. At MSA, we teach students the parts of the brain and how to control each one through meditation and breathing exercises. This daily practice is one that students will use forever to ensure they live a happy and healthy life.
NWEA’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is a formative assessment administered at the beginning and end of every school year to more than 6,000,000 students in approximately 15,000 elementary schools across the country, ranging from affluent private schools to the most underperforming public schools. At the end of each school year, MSS conducts an analysis to determine how our schools’ performance stacks up against all schools in the MAP database.
Meeting Street students are committed to leading a healthy lifestyle!
MSA students have team spirit!
The MSA Mavericks practice basketball at Spartanburg Community College Downtown Campus multiple times per week and compete against other teams in District 7.
An Exciting PartnershipFirst Lego League is an exciting alliance between FIRST and the LEGO® Group. It’s a robotics program which is designed to get children excited about science and technology — and teach them valuable employment and life skills. Teams program an autonomous robot (using a LEGO MINDSTORMS® robot set) to score points on a thematic playing surface, create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their Project, all while guided by the FLL Core Values.
Our Yearly ChallengeThese three elements – the Robot Game, Project, and FLL Core Values – make up what we call our yearly Challenge. Each team player will have a specific role on the team. MSA hosts an interview panel to interview potential team players. Last season we had 30 kids interested and only 6 made the team.
Students Learn Life Skills
Meeting Street Academy is proud to have an active Girl Scout Troop, led by students’ parents. Open to students ages 1st-5th grades, Troop 1339 actively fundraises through cookie sales and proactively gives back to our community!
Setting the Stage for Greatness
MSA places an important emphasis on music and the arts. In addition to music education, students develop self-confidence and creativity as they prepare for a full production. Each year, MSA puts on performances in the winter and spring that allow for every child’s participation.
MSA fosters a culture of creativity that empowers students to draw, paint, design, and mold the products of their imagination. You can spot MSA student artwork on display all over Spartanburg – in local restaurants, at the Chapman Cultural Center, and in small businesses.
MSA students were even featured at Bloomberg Philanthropies headquarters in New York City for their participation in a community art project.
Meeting Street Academy-Spartanburg, located in the heart of downtown, enjoys strong partnerships within the community that provide our students and families with access to healthcare, financial services benefits, social support networks, and extracurricular opportunities.
We are so grateful for the partnership of many organizations, including the following, as they work alongside our faculty and staff to provide our families with support from our community:
In addition to the above, Meeting Street Academy is grateful for the partnership of local dentists and doctors, organizations like the YMCA and Girl Scouts of America, and the volunteers and mentors who support our students and their families in their education journey.
Interested in becoming a partner? Contact us!
Join a community of incredible, passionate people working to change the lives of our students. Our compensation and benefits are a cut above the rest: the most competitive total compensation in the region.
Start Your Career!Meeting Street Schools (MSS) is an innovative non-profit where schools, families, and the community collaborate to create environments where all children can achieve their full potential. With a network of schools across South Carolina, including MSA-Charleston (Charleston, SC), MSA-Spartanburg (Spartanburg, SC), MS-Brentwood (North Charleston, SC), MS-Burns (North Charleston, SC), and MS-Jasper & Beaufort (Jasper, SC), we are committed to providing students with the rigorous education they deserve.
Founded on the principle that every child deserves an excellent education regardless of their socio-economic background, Meeting Street Schools has been a beacon of hope and a testament to what's possible in education. Our schools are driven by a strong focus on student achievement, evidence-based instruction, and relentless support of our students and their families.
While united by our shared mission, each MSS campus, is unique in its character, tapping into the local spirit of the communities they serve. Explore each of our schools and discover how they're creating a brighter future for students in South Carolina.
Nestled in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, MSA Charleston is more than just a school—it’s a hub for innovative learning and community engagement. As part of the Meeting Street Schools network, MSA Charleston embodies a commitment to excellence through its rigorous academic programs, inclusive culture, and focus on developing the whole child. With a curriculum that emphasizes both academic and personal growth, MSA Charleston prepares students to be curious learners and active citizens of their community.
MSA Spartanburg stands as a pillar of educational innovation in the Spartanburg community. The school’s dedicated educators and supportive learning environment ensure that each child receives a high-quality, personalized education with exceptional faculty and teachers. MSA Spartanburg is distinguished by its emphasis on community partnership, fostering relationships that extend beyond the classroom to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.
MS Brentwood is a place where education meets opportunity. Serving the Brentwood area, this school is a testament to the transformative power of education. With a student-centered approach that celebrates diversity and encourages excellence, MS Brentwood is dedicated to equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. MS Brentwood also serves as a hub for the Brentwood community to access educational and wellness services. The school’s commitment to innovation, coupled with a warm, welcoming environment, makes it a standout in the MSS network.
Located in a community rich with history and culture, MS Burns is renowned for its dynamic educational approach that intertwines traditional learning with modern teaching techniques. The school’s focus on experiential learning ensures that students at MS Burns are not only recipients of knowledge but also active participants in their educational journey. MS Burns exists to spark an educational revolution for the students and families in the Dorchester-Waylyn Neighborhood in North Charleston. With a commitment to creating a supportive and challenging academic environment, MS Burns is forging a new path in public education.
MS Jasper represents the Meeting Street Schools’ dedication to community-based education with a global perspective. The school provides a nurturing environment where students are encouraged to explore their potential and cultivate a love for learning. With its diverse programs such as Eureka Math, and Wit and Wisdom, MS Jasper puts a major emphasis on character development, specialized learning and equips students to become thoughtful, engaged members of society, reflecting the MSS ethos of empowerment through education.
“We come into work everyday truly believing that our students are capable of achieving anything that is put in front of them. Here at MSS, students are provided the opportunity to achieve success through the facilitation of well-educated teachers, resources, and a responsive classroom school environment.”
“MSA is a family. Once you’re in, you’re in. They said they would follow our kids from K-3 to college and they actually lived up to what they said they would do. Not only did MSA challenge my daughter academically but it also exposed her to new things that she probably wouldn’t have been exposed to at our previous neighborhood school. Our journey at MSA was exciting and rewarding. They actually walk the walk.”
Meeting Street Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, or national or ethnic in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships or loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
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