About Us

Vision

Empowering today’s families and students for tomorrow’s journey.

Mission

Tamassee is a place to:
belong where everyone experiences the peace of God;
heal where mothers and children embrace holistic recovery and long-term success; and
grow where students engage a passion for learning and exceptional citizenship.

Values

We inspire family. We believe the Triune God blesses and heals us through biological and spiritual families. We welcome each other to be at home in the Tamassee family, see the inherent value and unique gifts of each person, and empower one another to be our true and best selves in healthy relationships.

We never stop learning.  There is always something new to discover and wonderful to explore.  We are committed to ongoing learning and development because education brightens our future and expands our impact and influence.

We maximize every opportunity and resource.
We strive to be present in every moment so we never miss an opportunity to impact others positively.  We seek creative solutions no matter the challenge, and we maximize every resource entrusted to us.

We own our excellence.  We are committed to doing everything with the highest standards of excellence and utilizing our best practices.  Each team member takes ownership to act with integrity, always follow through, and support others’ success.

We have fun!  We believe we are made to be happy and to enjoy each other and the good things of life.  We believe learning is meant to be fun.  We laugh and play.  We even turn our challenges into opportunities to shine and revel in each other’s success.

Our Story

In the 1910s, the future was bleak for children living in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Motivated by a belief in the power of education to improve children’s lives, the South Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) voted to establish a school “in a place remote, yet accessible, where the need seems greatest.” With community and DAR support, Tamassee developed into a full industrial school in the following years, serving over 400 boarding and day students each year until the 1960s.

With the advent of local public schools and the national welfare system and with the rise of family disintegration, Tamassee partnered with the Oconee County School District to house Tamassee-Salem Elementary School and with the Department of Social Services to serve as a group home to children coming from crisis situations. In the 1970s, Tamassee launched an early learning center for working families in the community.

Due to systemic changes in the child welfare system and government funding for children’s homes, Tamassee transitioned it’s programming in the early 2020s to address the most pressing unmet needs of children and families in our community. Tamassee’s education programs bridge the gap between working families and public school teachers so kids excel in school and life. Tamassee’s residential recovery program for mothers and children – Starlight at Tamassee – empowers families to break destructive cycles and find lasting freedom and wholeness. At Tamassee, miracles await!