Program to provide collage of Columbia attractions.

A new quarterly program will deliver an up-close look at the amenities Columbia has to offer while helping the city retain professional talent, organizers hope.

Crash Course Columbia, a joint initiative of nonprofit organization Columbia Opportunity Resource and city tourism arm Experience Columbia SC, will give participants a behind-the-scenes glimpse of local attractions as well as a firsthand look at upcoming area development.

The two-day program is geared toward those new to the workforce or to Columbia and will ferry around 30 participants to Columbia-area food and drink hotspots and entertainment venues such as Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. It will feature exclusive experiences available only to those in the program, officials said.

Crash Course Columbia can serve as "a reminder of all the things that are good about Columbia," Jeff Ruble, Richland County economic development director, said a news conference kicking off the program on Tuesday at the Columbia Museum of Art's Boyd Plaza. The program can show participants "a lot of assets here in the community that we just take for granted," Ruble said, and be "part of creating an environment where smart young people want to live."'

Crash Course Columbia will hold the first of four 2020 sessions March 12-13. Another program is planned May 14-15, with two more dates to be announced in August and October.

The March program will include a Thursday night networking stop at Hotel Trundle and dinner at Hendrix. A full day of Friday activities will include a tour of City Roots urban organic farm, a beer tasting at the Hunter-Gatherer at Curtiss-Wright Hangar, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Segra Park, home of the Columbia Fireflies' minor league baseball team.

Historic Columbia will facilitate a tour of the city's historic house and garden district, and participants will also explore Five Points and take a walking tour of West Columbia.

Bill Ellen, president and CEO of Experience Columbia SC, hopes Crash Course Columbia will boost a tourism industry he said...