Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce: Grow Local

What is Grow Local?

Grow Local is a no-cost/educator initiative designed to introduce, involve, inspire, and invest in the future of our community and workforce. Originally introduced in 2018, Grow Local is a program designed to create and unveil career interests, grow the talent pipeline, and connect local businesses to future employees. During Grow Local Week, Pitt County businesses open their doors to host local middle and high school students, providing them with a unique opportunity to identify career paths and opportunities they may be unaware of.

From tours of local businesses, conversations with business leaders, and hands-on activities, students will have first-hand experience at a day in the life of an employee in a field relevant to curriculum they are studying in their class.

Businesses and employers can participate in three main ways:

Host an experience.
Sponsor
Be a Grow Local supporter and recruit additional businesses to participate.

To view the 2023 Grow Local Video, click here.

What is an experience and how can my organization host?

An experience is an activity that exposes student participants to a specific career, company or industry. Experience types range from tours and activities, to job shadows. Experiences should have clear learning objectives that relate to the job, industry or company that you are showcasing, and hands-on activities and information on future education needs for the jobs presented. Businesses and employers of all sizes and industries can participate by hosting experiences.

All Grow Local experiences in 2023 will take place in-person (virtually if needed). There is no set duration for experiences. The time allotted for an experience should be planned around the activities the participants will be doing and school day time constraints. Experiences could range from one (1) to two (2) hours.