USC Salkehatchie expands free community courses on Allendale campus

USC Salkehatchie is offering a slate of spring 2026 community interest courses on its Allendale campus that provide free or low-cost learning opportunities for local residents, with particular outreach to adults 60 and older. The offerings include basic technology training, physical activity classes, and a local history discussion series that together reinforce the campus’s role as a community hub.

Key Allendale classes listed include Apple Bits and Bytes, an introduction to computers that meets Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.; line dancing on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., led by Angela Youmans; and Salkehatchie Stories: James Brown, scheduled for Mondays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Allendale Campus Library, beginning Jan. 26. Yoga and several other community classes are also part of the lineup, with facility locations and contact information provided by the campus for registration and questions.

These courses matter to Allendale County for several reasons. They provide accessible continuing education for older residents who may face economic or transportation barriers to other programs. Technology classes help bridge digital divides that can affect access to government services, health information, and voting resources. Movement and social programs, such as line dancing and yoga, offer routine opportunities for seniors to maintain physical health and social networks that local civic groups and service providers rely on to sustain community engagement.

Institutional analysis shows USC Salkehatchie functioning as an anchor institution in Allendale, using campus facilities and faculty or community instructors to deliver noncredit programming that complements county services. For local leaders and public agencies, these offerings reduce pressure on municipal recreation budgets while creating partnership opportunities for outreach to underrepresented residents. The courses also create informal civic spaces where issues affecting older adults and the broader community can surface, potentially informing local priorities and voter concerns as election cycles approach.

For participants, the courses are practical: low- or no-cost options reduce financial barriers; weekday scheduling accommodates different routines; and holding sessions on the Allendale campus centralizes resources for residents across the county. Salkehatchie Stories and other discussion-focused classes can reinforce local identity and intergenerational knowledge transfer, strengthening community resilience.

Residents interested in attending should contact USC Salkehatchie’s Allendale campus for registration details and any updates to the spring schedule. As the semester begins, these courses will be a visible test of how higher education and local government can partner to expand learning, social support, and civic life in Allendale County.