STEAM
Goal 3: Engage Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math
STEAM
These subjects are at the heart of what has made Aiken County grow and thrive over the past 75 years. To increase career awareness and readiness in these fields, PEP will partner with local businesses to improve STEAM programs in the schools.
Science Night at Gloverville Elementary School
More than 200 parents and students at Gloverville Elementary School participated in hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) on March 12, 2026, made possible through a collaborative partnership between Public Education Partners and the Aiken County school district.
PEP Board member and SRNS representative Cindy Hewitt, a former Aiken County elementary school principal, said PEP Science Night at Gloverville Elementary gave students and families an exciting introduction to STEM through hands-on activities throughout the school. “Events like this spark curiosity and show students how science and engineering connect to the world around them,” said Hewitt.
Over 40 volunteers, including PEP members, SRNS employees, teachers, and local high school students, led interactive stations where families explored circuits, shapes, genetics, energy, force and motion, simple machines, the engineering design process, and properties of magnets and microscopes.
National Math and Science Initiative
Under the fiscal management of Public Education Partners, local companies provide sponsorships to support NMSI in Aiken County schools. Funds are used to train and certify teachers to teach Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and to create a reward system for educators and students to support STEM learning, a critical need here in Aiken County and across the country.
Garcia Orchestra Festival
The 16th Annual Garcia Orchestra Festival was held at USCA’s Etherredge Center on March 5, 2026. Students in grades 7-12 from across the county participated in a day-long event with professional music clinicians. A formal performance for family and friends capped off the evening.
Carlos and Karen Garcia, benefactors of PEP since the early 2000s, were on hand to celebrate and encourage students and their parents. The text of Mr. Garcia’s speech can be read by scanning the QR code below.
Congratulations to Gabrielle Alaniz, cello, for winning the Garcia Scholarship; and to Karisa Weeks, winner of the Public Education Partners Scholarship.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.