Upstate program empowering youth in Anderson County [Video]

ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – While some kids are playing in the pool this summer, a group of young people in Anderson County are using their free time to learn life skills thanks to an organization aiming to improve mental wellness and academic success among Upstate teens.

“I never heard nobody come to me saying that they’re proud of me. So hearing it from them and believing it, it really touches my soul,” a teen participant said.

She’s one of several young people from Anderson County learning to cultivate strong soft skills, like self-confidence, in a three-week camp called EmpowerTeen.

The camp is part of an organization called Empowered To Win, an organization founded by Anderson native Kelly Simmons III. Together with his friend and former Clemson Football player, Richard Yeargin III, the two created a summer program that helps teens find success inside and outside of the classroom.

“There’s a lack of prioritization on our …