The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

Come hear the voice of South Carolina's young leaders! In this unique session, Growing Leaders thought-leaders will present alongside select Maxwell Leadership Student Ambassadors. These students are unique to South Carolina and have been working together to create impact in their communities. Together, we will help them discuss how leadership development is preparing them for their careers, what impact they have already made in their communities as a student ambassador and leader at their school, and what they would like to see from their education system to further prepare them for real life.

South Carolina has built a strong foundation for tracking student progress through Palmetto Pathways. Now, the introduction of the Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) tool represents a significant step forward, shifting the work from monitoring progress to actively guiding students’ post-secondary planning. This session will begin with an overview of recent updates to Palmetto Pathways, highlighting how new features better support visibility into graduation progress, pathway completion, and postsecondary readiness. Presenters will then introduce the IGP tool as a critical next step in this work—not just as a technical enhancement, but as a tool designed to transform how counselors engage with students and families. Participants will experience a guided demonstration of the IGP tool, with a focus on how it supports more meaningful, structured planning conversations. The tool enables counselors to move beyond compliance-driven planning toward deeper engagement with students—helping them make informed decisions, set goals, and stay on track. The session will also address key implementation considerations, including the importance of clear ownership across school and district teams and the need to build systems that support both strong data practices and high-quality student interactions.