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Winthrop University and Fort Mill to open downtown instructional site under MOU
Summary
Town and university leaders announced a memorandum of understanding to establish a Winthrop instructional site at 123 North White Street in downtown Fort Mill, including a lab school, expanded dual-enrollment for middle/high school students and graduate/continuing-education programs; details will be finalized in a formal agreement.
Winthrop University and the town of Fort Mill announced a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish a Winthrop instructional site at 123 North White Street in downtown Fort Mill that officials said will include an early-childhood lab school, expanded dual-enrollment for middle and high school students, and graduate and continuing-education programs.
“Today, we are spreading our wings and looking to soar into an endless new era of boundless potential,” Sebastian Van Delden, Winthrop’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, said as he outlined the three-pronged model: Launchpad for early-childhood education, Ascend for middle- and high-school dual enrollment, and Altitude for graduate and workforce programs.
The announcement, hosted by the town and attended by local and state officials, framed the site as both an educational resource and an economic development tool. “This is about building a foundation for the future generations of our community,” said State Rep. David Martin, who cited what he described as Winthrop’s $200,000,000 economic impact in South Carolina and said the programs — including AI, cybersecurity and fintech classes — are intended to help retain local talent.
Joel Hamilton, chair of Winthrop’s board of trustees, called the converted historic building a community asset and said the university intends the site to offer certifications and applied programs tied to local employers. Gray Young, superintendent of the Fort Mill School District, said the district will begin a dual-enrollment cohort of 24 students next year who will attend Winthrop classes half the day and that the lab-school element will provide early-childhood training aligned with teacher education programs.
Officials stressed the memorandum of understanding is a framework to plan, fund and develop the instructional site and that attorneys and administrators still need to finalize details. “We still have a few details to work out to enter in a formal agreement,” Van Delden said; the presiding official said the MOU would be signed that day and posted publicly once finalized.
The partners said the site will support lifelong learning, workforce development and stronger K–12-to-college pathways for Fort Mill and surrounding communities. The town invited attendees to photo opportunities and said refreshments were available after the announcement.
