For many students, summer camp is a place for discovery, creativity and imagination. But for students participating in the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) GoSciTech Camps across South Carolina this summer, it is becoming something even greater: a first glimpse into a future they may never have imagined possible. 

Inside classrooms, labs and interactive learning spaces, students are not simply learning about science and technology. They are discovering pathways to careers that can transform their lives, support their families and strengthen their communities for generations to come. Through hands-on advanced energy curriculum and immersive activities designed by GSSM’s Outreach Center team, students are exploring the world of advanced energy, from geothermal power innovation to bioelectrical engineering, electrical grid resiliency and emerging technologies powering the future of our nation. 

Curriculum and Instruction Specialists in GSSM’s Outreach Center have prepared intentional and multidimensional GoSciTech summer camp learning experience to inspire curiosity and critical thinking skills in young minds. Students participating in the GoSciTech Day camp engineering class take on the role of SC Public Service Commissioners approving actions to re-engineer the SC electrical grid after a catastrophic natural disaster. Students develop advanced energy innovation skills and are motivated to look deeper into the natural energy sources in South Carolina. In the GoSciTech Residential camp class, “Nex-Gen Bioengineering,” students learn how electrical engineering, synthetic biology, and biotechnology work together to yield novel pathways to increase energy resiliency and push the boundaries of what is possible in advanced energy designs. Throughout the camps, students learn a wide range of workforce skills such as data-driven design, circuitry and bioengineering laboratory bench techniques. 

For some students, these experiences spark newfound confidence. For others, it becomes the first time they see themselves in a high-demand, high-wage career field. A simple experiment in GSSM’s GoSciTech summer camps can become the moment a student realizes they could one day design new energy systems, modernize the electric grid or lead the next generation of innovation in South Carolina. 

That is the power of exposure. That is the power of opportunity. 

Through the SC NEXUS Education and Workforce Center (EWC) and GSSM’s partnership with the SC Technical College System, we are working together to understand that workforce development is not just about preparing people for jobs. It is about creating futures. It is about giving young scholars the tools, knowledge and support to dream bigger for themselves and their families. When students are introduced to career-connected learning early through programs devloped and delivered by GSSM’s Outreach Center, they begin to understand success in advanced industries is not out of reach. It is within their grasp. 

Together, these collaborations are creating hands-on training opportunities and career pathways intentionally aligned with the evolving needs of South Carolina’s advanced energy sector. 

One of the most impactful aspects of this work is the connection between advanced energy research and student learning. By exposing students to research and advancements taking place at institutions such as USC, Clemson and Savannah River National Laboratory, the program helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications. These experiences build awareness of future opportunities while inspiring the next generation of innovators, engineers and energy leaders.

The ripple effect of this work reaches far beyond individual students. When a young person gains access to knowledge, mentorship and opportunity, entire families benefit. Communities grow stronger. Economic barriers begin to break. Students who once questioned what their future could look like begin to see possibility, purpose and potential. 

South Carolina’s energy future is being built today, and the next generation will play a critical role in leading it forward. Through programs like GSSM’s GoSciTech Camps and the collaborative efforts of SC NEXUS, the SC Technical College System and GSSM, we are not only building a workforce. We are inspiring futures, changing lives and creating opportunities that will impact families and communities for years to come. 

Sometimes all it takes is one opportunity, one experience or one moment of inspiration to change the trajectory of a student’s life forever. 

Randy LaCross

Governor School for Science and Mathematics, VP for Outreach