“Each SmartLab we fund is another step towards fulfilling our mission. We never know the impact this exposure may have on a child, and many times attending a school with a STEM curriculum lights a spark that encourages a career in STEM. These children are the future problem solvers, inventors, doctors, and designers and we are proud to support them.”
STEM Learning in South Carolina
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
South Carolina’s Commitment to Education
The Profile of the South Carolina Graduate, a vision adopted by the South Carolina Department of Education, the Education Oversight Committee, SC Chamber of Commerce, and the SC Council on Competitiveness, calls for high school graduates who leave school with world-class knowledge and the skills needed to thrive in both life and a future career.
Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are central to that goal. The profile names STEM as a core component of “world-class knowledge,” alongside the creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills that make these subjects applicable in the real world.
SMARTLAB LEARNING IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Powering the Palmetto State’s Future Workforce
South Carolina’s economy runs on the same type of thinking STEM education develops. Manufacturing alone represents a large segment of the state’s workforce, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs in automotive production, aerospace, advanced materials, logistics, defense, and more. Employers across these sectors hire for skills that begin with a strong STEM foundation.
SmartLab helps South Carolina schools lay that foundation, from the earliest grades through graduation. Here’s how:
- SmartLab learners connect core math, science, and engineering concepts to hands-on projects, making abstract ideas concrete. | See Details
- Students gain familiarity with the tools and technologies used across the state’s signature industries. | See Details
- Learners practice the life and career skills at the heart of the Profile of the SC Graduate: self-direction, perseverance, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. | See Details
- Educators are supported every step of the way with comprehensive training and ongoing troubleshooting, so they can focus on their students. | See Details
- The SmartLab digital LearningHub keeps standards-aligned curriculum organized in one easy-to-access place. | See Details
SMARTLAB STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Preparing South Carolina Learners for Academic Success
SmartLab learning environments are designed to support every student with hands-on, project-based experiences that align with South Carolina’s state standards, as well as leading national frameworks:
- South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards for Mathematics: Students sharpen their mathematical reasoning through applied, hands-on problem-solving. | Explore Standards
- South Carolina Academic Standards and Performance Indicators for Science: Three-dimensional, inquiry-based learning brings core science concepts to life. | Explore Standards
- South Carolina Career and Technical Education (CTE) Standards: Organized around nationally recognized career clusters, South Carolina’s CTE framework prepares students for postsecondary and career success, a goal SmartLab’s career-connected curriculum is designed to advance. | Explore Standards
- International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards: With access to innovative tools and the freedom to explore how they’re used, students grow into confident, capable digital citizens. | Explore Standards
SmartLab learning environments support STEM education goals in South Carolina by providing:
Hands-On Learning
Grounded in project-based learning philosophy, SmartLab brings abstract concepts to life in new and exciting ways.
Student-Led Engagements
When students take charge of projects that matter to them, engagement and academic performance improves.
Cross-Curricular Connections
SmartLab helps students begin to see how their education relates to their own lives, their career interests, and the world around them.
Holistic SEL Opportunities
While connecting with core academic concepts, students engage their social-emotional abilities to work together, practice active listening, struggle productively, and make themselves understood.
Educator Support
Every SmartLab facilitator receives comprehensive instruction on course content and technology, plus access to resources and ongoing professional development.
SmartLabs in South Carolina
See which South Carolina schools and districts have already implemented SmartLab learning environments.
Allendale-Fairfax Elementary School
Divine Redeemer School
Ladys Island Middle School
Whale Branch Middle School
Discover Your Funding Options
The Creative Learning Systems team has helped public, private, rural, urban, large, and small schools secure funding.
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Equitable STEM Programming Made Possible
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See SmartLab in Action
Hear From Our Happy Clients
“The communication I’ve had with industry leaders within Michigan about the program itself comes primarily from their visits to our schools. I tell them, ‘Get prepared, because you’re going to have 18-year-old kids with more knowledge than some of your employees.’ That’s an exciting proposition for them because a lot of jobs are unfilled.”
I was a SmartLab facilitator from 2015-2017 in Oceanside, CA. Teaching in the SmartLab was career-changing for me and gave me a love for STEM! I look back fondly on those years in the SmartLab and can say, without hesitation, that they were the best, out of my 18 years in education. I’m no longer in CA and no longer in a SmartLab, but I still use so many of the SmartLab ideas and activities to bring STEM to my 3rd grade classroom. Thank you for doing what you do and keep it up!
“Students in SmartLab environments are immersed in digital technology — from coding and robotics to 3D printing and design. They gain hands-on experience with tools they’ll encounter in many future careers, turning curiosity into capability. Each project builds both technical proficiency and a deep understanding of how innovation shapes the world around them.”
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Ready to bring SmartLab Learning to your school?
We’re excited to hear from you. Let’s change the way your students engage with math and science—in and outside the classroom.
