The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

Many career and college readiness efforts operate separately across classrooms, advising, and CTE programs, even though everyone shares the same goal of preparing students for life beyond graduation. This session provides a clear, practical approach to aligning those efforts and building a culture focused on student success. 
If you serve as a…

• CTE Educator: Discover how to intentionally align your CTE program with academic instruction and advising efforts to strengthen measurable CCR outcomes.
• School Counselor: Learn practical strategies to integrate career advising into classroom experiences and expand your reach across the entire student body.
• Administrator: Gain a clear alignment framework to strengthen school-wide CCR indicators and accountability systems.

This session introduces a practical alignment framework designed to help schools move from siloed efforts to shared ownership. Participants will explore how aligning advising structures, classroom instruction, pathway design, and workforce partnerships can:

• Increase student clarity, motivation, and pathway ownership
• Strengthen measurable College and Career Readiness outcomes
• Improve graduation, persistence, and postsecondary engagement indicators
• Establish shared language and aligned expectations across the school

Participants will leave with a practical alignment roadmap to identify strengths, address gaps, and guide intentional collaboration that prepares students for sustained success beyond graduation.

Career readiness is no longer the responsibility of Career and Technical Education alone—it is a shared priority across all classrooms, grade levels, and subject areas. This engaging, high-energy session equips educators, administrators, and community partners with practical, classroom-ready strategies to embed career readiness skills into everyday instruction, without adding to an already full plate. Participants will explore how to intentionally integrate essential employability skills, such as communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and professional behavior, into core academic subjects, advisory periods, and school culture. Through real-world examples attendees will learn how to connect learning to workforce relevance in ways that increase student engagement, motivation, and long-term success.

How can schools, colleges, and businesses work together to inspire students and meet the evolving needs of our local workforce? In this session, we will explore how Lexington One has partnered with a local community college and area businesses to design career pathways that align with labor market demands. Participants will learn strategies for building sustainable partnerships, creating relevant programs of study, and opening doors for students to move confidently from high school to college and career. Join us to discover how collaboration can spark inspiration, strengthen communities, and empower the next generation of talent.

Strong communities and thriving businesses depend on a prepared workforce. This session explores how school–industry partnerships can create meaningful opportunities for students to demonstrate career readiness while allowing employers the opportunity to discover untapped talent. Participants will learn about a collaborative event which evaluates students’ abilities to demonstrate real-world. Participating in these collaborative experiences gives students confidence in their skills and businesses the unexpected employee they never thought to look for. Through innovative partnerships, schools and businesses can work together to build career pathways, strengthen the local workforce pipeline, and provide students with authentic opportunities to showcase their abilities. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for building partnerships that benefit students, schools, and employers alike. Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Identify strategies for establishing and sustaining effective school–industry partnerships that enhance student career readiness. Design opportunities for students to demonstrate real-world skills and employability, including those with unconventional or untapped talent. Implement practical approaches for connecting local businesses with schools to create pipelines for discovering and developing future employees.

Siemens will present the Pathway to Learning Engineering (PLE) — a comprehensive, project-based curriculum designed in collaboration with Siemens engineering experts and educators. This innovative pathway immerses students in authentic design challenges while preparing them for industry-recognized certifications, including NX, Programmable Logic Controllers, and Six Sigma Lean Manufacturing. During the session, participants will discover how to access and implement the curriculum, secure Siemens software licenses for classroom use, explore professional development opportunities for educators, and register students for certification exams that validate their learning. The presentation will demonstrate how Siemens PLE equips high students with the skills, experiences, and credentials needed to succeed in the evolving world of engineering and advanced manufacturing.

Preparing students for the workforce requires more than technical know‑how—it takes communication, teamwork, professionalism, and problem‑solving woven into daily learning. In this session, CTE teachers will explore practical, low‑prep strategies for integrating soft skills seamlessly into existing lessons and labs. Participants will leave with ready‑to-use ideas, classroom routines, and instructional moves that build employability skills without sacrificing content time. Help your students become not just job‑ready, but hire‑ready.

Education cannot exist in silos. Student learning builds on previously learned concepts. Employers insist that educators build character and employability skills. Character readiness, college readiness, and career readiness are all essential in preparing students for their next steps after high school and eventually to a life-long career. Join us as we "Envision an Educational System that Connects Core and Career Learning."

In CTE, this bridge between theory and application is particularly critical. Students must develop technical competence alongside analytical reasoning, ethical judgment, and professional identity. Instruction must therefore extend beyond content transmission to intentional skill formation within authentic workforce contexts

What if we started preparing students for their careers the same way we prepare them for sports — by teaching the rules, practicing the skills, and building confidence early? SC Career Kids is helping schools build a strong workforce foundation by introducing career awareness in elementary school through hands on exploration, purposeful play, and meaningful conversations with community helpers and industry professionals. From statewide Safety Town programs serving PreK through 2nd grade to expanding after school Career Clubs across multiple districts, students are introduced to career pathways, essential life skills, and workplace readiness habits in developmentally appropriate ways. This session explores how early career exposure strengthens academic engagement, builds student confidence, and supports long term educational success. Participants will learn how intentional community partnerships, interactive programming, and aligned instructional strategies can integrate career awareness within existing school structures. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how early career exposure can be thoughtfully integrated within their schools and districts, and how SC Career Kids can serve as a trusted partner and resource in helping bring these experiences to life. We would never wait until high school to teach a child how to read or to compete in athletics. Career awareness should be no different. The earlier students understand the possibilities ahead of them, the stronger their educational journey becomes. The future is not waiting. It is time to get students in the game.

Industry-recognized credentials are becoming increasingly important in Career and Technical Education programs as schools work to better prepare students for employment after graduation. This session will explore the value of the OSHA 10-Hour safety credential as a foundational certification for students entering a wide range of career pathways. Participants will learn how OSHA 10 helps students develop a strong understanding of workplace safety while also reinforcing professional habits that employers expect. The session will highlight how safety training supports workforce readiness, increases student confidence, and provides students with a credential that is recognized across multiple industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for implementing OSHA 10 within their programs and strategies for connecting safety training to broader workforce preparation goals.

Preparing students for the workforce requires more than technical know‑how—it takes communication, teamwork, professionalism, and problem‑solving woven into daily learning. In this session, CTE teachers will explore practical, low‑prep strategies for integrating soft skills seamlessly into existing lessons and labs. Participants will leave with ready‑to-use ideas, classroom routines, and instructional moves that build employability skills without sacrificing content time. Help your students become not just job‑ready, but hire‑ready.

From Insight to Impact: Transforming CTE with Career-Connected Learning What happens when student aptitude data meets authentic career-connected learning? This session offers both big-picture strategy and practical implementation steps for districts seeking to strengthen and grow any program or pathway. Learn how the Biomedical Science Program at Aiken County Career & Technology Center transformed recruitment, instruction, and student outcomes through a strategic career-connected learning approach. Faced with enrollment challenges, the program implemented a data-driven recruitment strategy using YouScience to identify students with demonstrated aptitudes and interests in health science. The result: a 73.3% increase in applications following a targeted Health Science recruitment night. Beyond recruitment, the program integrated the BIOCAP model, empowering students to manage a student-based service enterprise, earn advanced life science certifications, and complete meaningful work-based learning experiences. Presenters will share how aptitude data informed instructional adjustments—such as differentiating approaches to solution calculations based on numerical strengths—leading to improved technical skill development and certification readiness. Attendees will leave with a replicable framework that combines: Strategic, data-informed recruitment School-based enterprise implementation (BIOCAP model)Instruction aligned to student aptitudes Career-connected learning experiences that build real workforce readiness

South Carolina is entering an exciting new era in school counseling and career guidance—and this session gives leaders the tools, clarity, and confidence to put the state’s revised Comprehensive School Counseling and Career Guidance Framework into action. Participants will explore the Framework’s four core components—Define, Deliver, Manage, and Assess—and discover how these elements work together to create coherent, aligned, and student‑centered programs across K–12 settings. The session will also unpack the Framework’s three developmental domains—Learning to Learn, Learning to Live, and Learning to Work—illustrating how they strengthen academic, personal–social, and career readiness through intentional skill‑building opportunities. Participants will gain essential updates on South Carolina‑specific legal requirements, including the EEDA, SC Code §59‑59‑120, the state’s 300:1 student–counselor ratio guideline, and scope‑of‑practice expectations that shape daily implementation statewide. Through interactive problem‑solving, real school scenarios, and collaborative discussions, attendees will practice applying the Framework in authentic contexts. Participants will leave with clear, actionable strategies they can implement immediately—strengthening program alignment, improving school‑wide systems, and ensuring every student receives high‑quality, developmentally appropriate counseling and career guidance. 

This session introduces Siemens Exploring the World of Engineering, a modular, project-based middle grades curriculum that immerses students in authentic STEM challenges across design, automation technology, autonomous electric vehicles, aerospace technology, energy management, informatics, biomedical manufacturing and engineering, and artificial intelligence. Participants will explore how eight flexible, non-sequential modules with differentiated projects build engineering literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through hands-on design, collaboration, and iteration. Attendees will learn how to integrate the curriculum into existing schedules, scaffold instruction using beginner-to-advanced projects, and use performance-based assessments and digital badges to support student growth and engagement.

Disagreements happen in every classroom and workplace, but they don’t have to lead to negative consequences. This interactive session equips educators with practical strategies to help students navigate differing opinions with confidence and respect. Through engaging activities, role-play scenarios, and “game-style” challenges, participants will learn how to teach active listening, emotional regulation, and constructive communication. Discover how teaching active listening and conflict resolution will improve behavior in your classroom and prepare students for the world of work. Walk away with ready-to-use tools and activities.

This session will allow attendees to explore the magic of WOW Conferences that take middle school students through the World of Work using the Career Clusters. The conference provides an intentional approach to helping students gain a true understanding of various careers. The conference brings businesses together with their future workforce and connects them with local middle school educators. The power of the WOW conferences was created in collaboration with York County Regional Chamber of Commerce (L.I.F.T. Program), Regional Workforce Advisor-Catawba (DEW), and Catawba Regional Career Specialist.

Join us for a session of Certification Central with TOSA by Isograd.

Join SCACTE leadership and members for the Annual Business Meeting, featuring official association business, officer elections, and the presentation of SCACTE awards. Members are encouraged to attend and participate as we recognize excellence and plan for the year ahead. Non-members are welcomed to attend as well to learn more about the opportunities SCACTE offers.