Camp iRock is rocking all across Pickens County this year.

The innovative reading-improvement camp that started a year ago in one school has expanded to three schools, in Easley, Pickens and Liberty.

“Because of the amazing results that we saw long-term, not only in students’ academic achievement but also with behaviors and attitudes, everybody was on board and was excited about expanding and serving the entire county,” said Alida Gardiner, director of operations for the Pickens County YMCA.

EASLEY — In late April, State Superintendent of Education, Molly M. Spearman announced that Camp iRock, a collaboration of United Way of Pickens County, the School District of Pickens County and the Pickens County YMCA was one of fourteen recipients to receive funding through the Summer Reading Camp Community Partnership Grant.

The entire application process was a “first” for the three partners, who have grown so close over the past year. When the opportunity for funding was announced, there was a very short window of time to complete the application.

PICKENS COUNTY — Pickens County First Steps, in conjunction with The United Way, celebrated the opening of the agency’s newest addition to the Born Learning trail system with a ribbon cutting held at “Tottie’s Place.”

Born learning trails work by taking existing parks and trails and adding educational signage and learning prompts geared toward young children and their caregivers.

“Look around you,” one sign reads. “Do you hear the birds? Sing along with them!”

PICKENS COUNTY — Preschoolers and their caregivers will have a new avenue for fun and education when two new Born Learning Trails come to the cities of Pickens and Clemson.

Born Learning is an innovative public engagement campaign created when United Way Worldwide joined forces with the Ad Council and Civitas and Families and Work Institute to create hundreds of learning trails across the county.

PICKENS COUNTY — Most Pickens County residents would have difficulty stating they have seen 106 homeless people in a year’s time, much less the night of Jan. 27, when Housing and Urban Development performed its Point in Time survey to track the number of homeless people in America.

On that night, 106 individuals were recorded as living without shelter in Pickens County.