The Governor's School for Science and Mathematics visits Central Carolina Technical College

by Deanna Burress

Sumter, SC (06/24/2026) — SUMTER, SC - Central Carolina Technical College saw visitors of the younger generation when nearly two dozen rising sixth through eighth graders descended on the Main Campus June 15 through 18 for a week-long camp of STEM learning.

Students with the SC Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) toured classrooms at the Main Campus and learned about machining, engineering design, robotics, 3D printing, health care and human anatomy. They met with faculty for classroom-style discussions and were given the opportunity to ask questions.

Additionally, students worked on projects for hands-on experience making generators, simple motors, wind turbines, solar ovens (tested out by roasting marshmallows for S'mores) and even built a "human body" out of craft materials like string for arteries and balloons for lungs.

The week concluded with a closing ceremony where parents and families learned more about the school, viewed a slideshow recap of the week's activities and heard from Central Carolina President, Jennifer Willbanks. Jax Quidilla, a GSSM student, was presented with the GoSciTech 2026 Scholarship. The ceremony wrapped up as students shared their projects and talked about the skills they learned throughout the week.

GSSM, located n Hartsville, is one of three public, tuition-free residential high schools across the state. The SC Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities is located in Greenville and the SC Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe is located in McCormick. All 16 colleges in the South Carolina Technical College System partner with the schools every summer to provide week-long camps for students to engage in STEM-related learning and hands-on experience.

To learn more about each of the schools visit: www.endlessopportunitiessc.com.

Media Attachments

A diverse group of young students sitting in a front row are eagerly listen to a discussion.

Students are learning about machining and 3D printing during the GSSM camp.

A diverse group of young male students are lined up. One boy dressed in a blue shirt lifts a roboto dog off the ground.

Students eagerly line up to test the weight of the robot dog at Central Carolina Technical College.

A group of diverse young students sit in a classroom listening while faculty points to someone with a raised hand.

Students listen to Eugene Geddings talk about health care at Central Carolina Technical College.

Students all wearing matching orange shirts listen to a woman in a red business suit as she talks. A slideshow is on a screen behind her.

Central Carolina Technical College President Jennifer Willbanks speaks to GSSM students during the closing cermony.

A young student with his family stand in front of a screen with this image and name. He holds up a certificate of achievement.

Jax Quidilla is the GoSciTech 2026 Scholarship winner.

A young person in an orange shirt demonstrates how to use a solar oven made from a pizza box.

A student demonstrates a solar oven made from a pizza box.

A young boy shows how a simple generator was made with a kit. The box the kit came in says "Green Energy."

Students learning about green energy make simple motors and generators out of kits.

A traced image of a human on paper with arts and crafts supplies laid out systematically to represent internal organs.

Students learn human anatomy with string and other craft supplies.