MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – On World Teachers’ Day, Oct. 5, Santee Cooper celebrates South Carolina’s educators and the important role they play in preparing the next generation for success. Santee Cooper is proud to offer programs, like the Energy Educators Institute, which provide teachers with a unique opportunity to connect their curriculum to the energy sector and the careers it holds.
This school year, educators from 13 school districts and 22 schools across the state are sharing energy lessons gained last summer as part of this program. The Institute is a graduate-level course that includes hands-on experience in critical fields of the electric industry.
This annual three-week course takes place during June and July and deepens educators’ understanding of the utility industry so they can inspire their students’ interest in STEM subjects.
Participants engage in online interactions and assignments during the first and third weeks. The second week is spent onsite at Santee Cooper’s Wampee Conference Center, where educators participate in experiments, electric and water facility tours, sessions on lesson planning, and in-depth conversations with several Santee Cooper team members.
“We want teachers to leave the Energy Educators Institute with a deeper understanding of an electric and water utility,” shared Brandy Incorvia, Santee Cooper’s Manager of Community Relations. “Our goal is for them to use the knowledge from this experience and translate it into engaging, real-world lessons that will inspire their students to become the next generation of innovators.”
“I gained a ton of content knowledge about electricity, environmental science and state history,” said Kathy Sullivan, an eighth-grade Social Studies teacher at Charleston School of the Arts in North Charleston. “I was amazed at how everyone here shares the same mission and love for their job. Thank you for this opportunity!”
In addition to Sullivan, the participants who attended this year include Joni Alford, Candace Adams-Brown, Harris Avant, Raedene Averitt, Jen Bendis, Emily Buechlein, Kherissa Burgess, Mardy Burleson, Hather Campbell, Shaquetta Davis-Ferguson, Kristin DeVall, LaToya Gardner, Hutch Hall, Tiffany Hobart, Kat Hobbs, Jane Kennedy, Cynthia Lehr, Michelle Lorusso, Scott Mertens, Vanessa Mitchell, Shauna Mueller, Derek Napper, Evon Robinson, Henry Jerome Stewart and Libby Turnnidge.
Applications for the 2026 Energy Educators Institute will be open early next year, but interested educators can join the direct mail list now. For more information, visit our website, www.santeecooper.com.