Education at Head of Class in Florence County
Published Oct 17, 2007
Florence-Darlington Technical College now has more than 4,000 students. Another 30,000 people take continuing-education courses.
When the Association of Science-Technology Centers convened its annual conference in Louisville, Ky., in October 2006, Florence’s own Colleen Zilio was scheduled to be there, along with a one-of-a-kind mobile learning center called Science on Wheels. The rolling laboratory is a popular tool of the ScienceSouth Project, a Florence-based initiative that illustrates the priority of education in the Pee Dee region.
In fact, there’s ample evidence that education is a lifelong pursuit here.
“ScienceSouth is an organization dedicated to inspiring science and technology learning,” says Zilio, ScienceSouth project director. She describes Science on Wheels as the organization’s “most famous outreach effort,” featuring a laboratory and computers with wireless Internet access.
Staff members aboard the decommissioned military vehicle facilitate hands-on workshops on robotics, air and water quality, DNA extraction, alternative energy, and other subjects. The variety of on-board activities explains the invitation to show off the big rig to the international gathering of science center and museum professionals.
Founded by three educators, the not-for-profit ScienceSouth began operations in 2003 with support from government agencies, community organizations, private industry and individual donors.
While ScienceSouth encourages entertaining and leisurely learning for all ages, most of its participants are elementary and middle-school students in districts throughout the region.
But during the 2006-07 school year, ScienceSouth will move into the high schools, Zilio says.
That’s certainly welcome news to Melissa Timmons, a science teacher at Johnsonville High School, who was honored in May 2006 with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. President Bush recognized 100 teachers nationwide, and Timmons was one of two South Carolina winners – another feather in Florence County’s educational cap.
The county boasts five public school districts and more than a dozen private schools.
Florence Public School District One is the largest, with 13 elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools.
The district also operates the Poynor Adult and Community Education Center, offering basic academic courses, computer training and a host of career-enhancement opportunities.
Francis Marion University, a state-supported school with nearly 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, also answers the region’s education and workforce-training needs. As an example, in fall 2006 FMU began offering courses leading to a bachelor of science degree in nursing.
“Of late, I think the nursing shortage has critically impacted South Carolina and the entire country,” says FMU President Fred Carter. The nursing program plans to graduate 48 nurses its first year and 60 per year thereafter.
In 2005, the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation of Florence donated $5 million to construct a 30,000-square-foot building to house the new program.
“We work closely with Florence-Darlington Technical College, Williamsburg Technical College and Northeastern Technical College to try to anticipate the workforce needs throughout the entire region and address those needs,” Carter adds. “Especially with regard to those three technical colleges, many of their associate-degree graduates come to us to further their education at the baccalaureate-degree level.
“That type of relationship, I think, underscores the terrific communication that exists throughout this entire region among and between all educational institutions.”
Story by Sharon H. Fitzgerald
Photo by Brian McCord
Current Weather Conditions In Florence, SC (29502)
Cloudy, and 63 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
