OUR WORK · OUR PILLARS
The Foundations
of Our Work
Four organization-wide pillars connect ULUS’s regional priorities with the National Urban League movement’s commitment to equity, economic empowerment, and civil rights.
Advancing Health Equity and Well-Being
Health & Wellness
Health shapes how people learn, work, care for family, and participate in community life. We focus on the barriers that make well-being harder to sustain, particularly for Black and underserved communities.
Health and wellness is a priority across ULUS, from student learning and household stability to workforce participation. The McClaren Institute brings a particular focus on health equity, community education, and local heritage within that larger commitment.
Explore the McClaren Institute
Skills. Access. Economic mobility.
Workforce Development
A meaningful career is about more than getting a first job. It is also about discovering strengths, building useful skills, connecting with opportunity, and finding room to grow.
Workforce development connects opportunities across our regional organization. The Spartanburg center adds a distinctive focus on entrepreneurship and creative industries, while career awareness and economic mobility also inform student and family work elsewhere.
Explore the Spartanburg Anchor
A voice in the systems that shape our lives.
Policy & Advocacy
Civil rights work connects personal opportunity with public decisions. Policies affecting education, work, health, housing, and civic participation shape what families can achieve.
This pillar centers informed participation, community voice, and equitable access. Research and lived experience help illuminate barriers and guide conversations about meaningful change.
Visit the Research Hub
Confidence for what comes next.
Education
Education opens possibilities when young people can see a future for themselves and find support along the way. Academic growth, identity, leadership, and career awareness belong in the same conversation.
Our education priorities connect students with learning and mentoring while recognizing the role of caregivers and family stability. Scholars pathways bring career exploration into that larger picture.
Explore Scholars Programs
FOUR PILLARS, CONNECTED
Four Pillars Connected to Serve Families in the Upstate
Health, education, work, and community voice shape the same lives. A health barrier can affect school attendance; a career opportunity can change a household’s stability. Our four pillars connect to support people and families as a whole.
The SAFE model brings that connected approach into practice, while our locations and partnerships help carry the work across the Upstate.
Find Your Next Step.
Tell us what you’re looking for. Start with one connection to the Urban League of the Upstate.