The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

This professional development session introduces educators to the Palmetto Civics Project, a South Carolina Department of Education initiative designed to strengthen civic literacy, character development, and student engagement through meaningful, real-world connections. Participants will explore key resources such as the Palmetto Pioneers, which highlight influential South Carolinians and the civic virtues they embody and examine how these tools can be used to bring civics to life across grade levels and content areas.

Discover how the Medal of Honor Character Development Program brings democratic principles to life through powerful, real-world stories. This interactive session showcases free lessons that build civic engagement, ethical decision-making, and student voice. Participants will explore primary sources, short video scenarios, and discussion strategies that help students connect acts of courage and service to their own roles as citizens. Leave with ready-to-use resources that inspire character, empathy, and community-minded action.

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. 

Leadership Minute is, the progress made across South Carolina, and how the program supports life skills, confidence, resilience, and civic responsibility without adding instructional burden. Participants will experience a Leadership Minute live, featuring one of the program’s civics standards—Patriotism—led by a Leadership Minute Ambassador. The session highlights the program’s innovative storytelling model, which blends animated elementary characters with real-life South Carolina athletes, coaches, and football leaders to make abstract character concepts relatable and impactful. Designed with both students and educators in mind, each one-minute video is paired with optional, easy-to-use curriculum cards that promote reflection, discussion, and real-world application while requiring minimal preparation. Attendees will explore how this dual-impact model increases classroom capacity for character instruction while keeping student growth at the center. The session also showcases how families, communities, and businesses can collaborate to extend character education beyond the classroom, creating a shared, statewide approach to developing strong, civically engaged citizens. Ideal for educators, district leaders, businesses, and community partners, this session offers an uncommon opportunity to experience the Leadership Minute while learning how intentional, daily character moments can create lasting impact. One minute at a time.

Looking for engaging civics resources that go beyond the textbook?  This session highlights the South Carolina Bar's Law Related Education programs that provide teachers with free curriculum materials, competitions, and experiential learning opportunities to students.  From Mock Trial, to We the People congressional hearings, to helping you schedule field excursions to your local courthouses, to pairing you with local attorneys to be guest speakers, the Law Related Education Division of the SC Bar is here to help!  These programs help students explore the law, develop civic knowledge, and practice the skills needed for active citizenship- all following the SC Social Studies College and Career Readiness Standards.   Participants will learn how to easily integrate these opportunities into their classrooms and schools in this interactive high energy session.

This session will guide district and school leaders through designing or strengthening a teacher‑recruitment pathway that begins in high school by intentionally stacking two CTE courses with two Teacher Cadet courses to form a complete, coherent four‑course sequence. Participants will explore how CTE and Teacher Cadet, often operating in parallel, can be strategically aligned to create a seamless pipeline from early career exploration to hands‑on pre‑educator experiences. The session will highlight how this combined pathway increases student engagement, elevates the visibility of teaching as a profession, and supports long‑term recruitment efforts by building a homegrown pool of future educators. Attendees will examine model course progressions, practical scheduling options, and examples of successful partnerships. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with actionable next steps to launch or enhance a high‑school teacher‑recruitment pathway tailored to their district’s needs.

This session focuses on moving career exploration beyond awareness and into meaningful, real-world connection. Through creative, immersive strategies like field experiences, industry tours, and hands-on learning, students can truly see themselves in future career pathways. Grounded in experiential learning, these approaches ignite curiosity, build confidence, and open doors to opportunities students may not have known existed. Participants will leave with practical ideas to strengthen partnerships between education and industry and create experiences that genuinely impact students.