The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

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.

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

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.

As esports continues to emerge as a high-impact educational pathway, South Carolina is uniquely positioned to lead with a cohesive, standards-driven, and student-centered approach. This session provides a comprehensive, implementation-focused framework for schools and districts seeking to launch or expand scholastic esports programs aligned to academic, workforce, and student engagement outcomes. Participants will explore how South Carolina Scholastic Esports (SCSE) is building a statewide ecosystem that empowers educators, expands equitable access, and creates sustainable pathways for students. Drawing on real course design models and program structures, including standards-aligned curricula that integrate technology, media, business, and student leadership, this session demonstrates how esports can function as a scalable Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway that develops critical thinking, collaboration, and career readiness skills.

As technological change, AI adoption, demographic shifts, and evolving workforce needs reshape the labor market, employers report that nearly 40% of core skills are expected to change by 2030. Analytical thinking, technological literacy, resilience, and global awareness are among the fastest-growing competencies. Preparing students for this future cannot begin in college alone. As South Carolina continues to strengthen its workforce pipeline, early exposure to career pathways, especially those connected to global and international industries, is critical. This session highlights a collaborative, scalable model that integrates K-12 career exploration, college readiness, and global workforce awareness into a coherent pathway from classroom to career. Drawing on initiatives from the Darla Moore School of Business’ Office of Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement (AOCE), Office of Undergraduate Programs, and Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), the presenters will demonstrate how early exposure to structured career pathways improves motivation, academic alignment, and postsecondary outcomes. The session will feature:AOCE’s Moore Launchpad, Power Forward and other K-12 pathway programs serving South Carolina districts, which provide early business exposure, mentoring, and structured academic preparation. Documented student outcomes, including:97% admission rate for Power Forward scholars who applied to USC92% retention rate (Year 2 to Year 3) among Rising Scholars89% average completion rate across AOCE programs International and global career awareness initiatives such as the South Carolina International Career Pathways Guide (currently in late-stage development), created by CIBER, that maps global career opportunities across industries relevant to South Carolina’s economy. Practical strategies for educators and administrators to integrate career exploration into existing advising structures, college preparation programming, and classroom experiences. Participants will leave with actionable tools to help students understand not just how to prepare for college, but how their preparation connects to meaningful, future-ready careers. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Identify evidence-based strategies for embedding career exploration into K-12 college preparation models. Understand how global and international career pathways align with South Carolina’s evolving workforce needs. Examine scalable outreach and partnership models that increase access, opportunity, and student engagement. Apply adaptable tools to align academic preparation with workforce readiness in diverse school and community contexts. Participants will engage in: A guided walkthrough of adaptable career pathway and outreach tools Small-group discussion on adapting and implementation in varied district contexts Facilitated Q&A focused on partnership-building and scaling strategies

This session explores a collaborative advising model between high school counselors and university admissions advisors to transform dual enrollment from credit accumulation into a purposeful pathway design. Presenters will share their structured sophomore advising process that integrates GPA analysis, test scores, high school graduation requirements, and major-specific sequencing to map students’ final four semesters of high school. Attendees will leave with an implementation blueprint and practical tools to replicate this partnership model.

The WHY: Creative Career Studio was developed in response to a clear need: young creatives often lack access to meaningful guidance and resources that illuminate pathways to creative college majors and careers. This session explores how we are addressing that gap by helping students see the full range of possibilities for building sustainable creative careers that align personal passion with viable opportunities in South Carolina’s economy. The WHAT: Grounded in labor market data from O*NET and supported by statewide research on the economic impact of the arts, Creative Career Studio connects student interests to real-world career pathways. As part of this work, participants will explore a series of short-form videos that highlight real working creatives across sectors, including manufacturing, technical and skilled trades, and the arts, helping to broaden students’ understanding of where creativity lives in today’s workforce. Participants will engage directly with the Creative Career Studio website, experience the student-facing career quiz, and explore how the platform’s resources prepare creative students for pathways to college and career readiness. The session will also provide a deeper look at the framework behind the work, including standards alignment, instructional connections, and upcoming enhancements to keep resources relevant and engaging. The FUTURE: We will also share where the program is headed, including a preview of Creative Career Studio’s Arts Industry Connections (work-based learning field experiences) and its companion curriculum, studio kits with lesson plans available for districts and teachers to check out through Arts Commission Hubs, and a Virtual Speakers Bureau designed to offer virtual field trips that connect students with real South Carolina professionals across creative career pathways.