The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

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.

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.

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