GSSM Welcomes Inaugural Group of Duke Energy STEM Scholars

Governor's School for Science + Mathematics Welcomes Inaugural Group of Duke Energy STEM Scholars

Hartsville, SC ─ The South Carolina Governor's School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) is pleased to welcome 15 students from the Pee Dee area to be the inaugural group of Duke Energy STEM Scholars. These students, sponsored by a generous grant from the Duke Energy Foundation, will participate in GSSM’s STEM Scholars program, which is designed to improve students’ academic achievement, leadership, and communication skills and help them achieve their future goals.

The Duke Energy STEM Scholars will begin class on February 13 with a virtual session focusing on chemistry. They will continue with monthly Saturday learning experiences through May and attend GSSM’s GoSciTech summer camp in June or July. Saturday experiences will resume in the new school year, with students studying mathematics, science, technology, communications, and leadership.

The STEM Scholars program was born of GSSM’s desire to prepare talented students from under-resourced school districts to succeed in high school and beyond. Students begin the program in 8th grade, and it runs through the fall semester of 10th grade. To remain in the program and maximize student engagement in the classroom, STEM Scholars must maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their time in the program.

“We are grateful for the Duke Energy Foundation’s grant, which allows this group of Duke Energy STEM Scholars to participate in the program at no cost to their families,” said Randy La Cross, Senior Vice President for Virtual and Outreach at GSSM. “We congratulate the Duke Energy STEM Scholars and look forward to sharing with them the world of scientific exploration and discovery.”

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One of the few specialized public residential high schools of its kind, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) exists to push motivated young learners beyond their perceived levels of academic ability. Founded in 1988 under the leadership of the late Governor Carroll Campbell, GSSM has consistently raised the bar for STEM education in the Palmetto State. GSSM’s two-year residential high school program—as well as its virtual high school program, summer camps, and outreach programs—all invite young people to explore the subjects they love in a diverse, inclusive, and uncommonly supportive academic environment. Here, challenge is viewed as a gateway to opportunity. GSSM students embrace the school’s rigorous approach to education and in so doing begin to realize their full potential. Learn more by visiting www.scgssm.org.