Event
Inventing South Carolina’s Tomorrow
South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem Summit October 22-23, 2026
Event Date
October 22-23, 2026
The South Carolina State Museum invites you to join educators, inventors, industry experts, government officials, and community leaders to help create South Carolina’s innovative future at the inaugural South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem Summit.
The summit will introduce participants to the power of Invention Education (IvE) and potential of Invention Education Ecosystems to help South Carolina prepare its young people to invent their own future and solve South Carolina’s most pressing challenges.
For questions or more information (including possible educator scholarships) please contact Invent.ED@scmuseum.org
South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem Summit is made possible by InventEd.
Attendance at the South Carolina Invention Education Innovation Summit is free but limited to 100 participants.
Registration to this event is required.
Register here
What is Invention Education?
Invention education models the unique ways inventors find and solve problems and equips South Carolina students with the skills and mindset to create a future yet to be invented. When students experience this approach, they become more engaged in their learning, more inclusive in their thinking, and more prepared for a future of rapid change and uncertainty.
What is an Invention Education Ecosystem?
An Invention Education Ecosystem is a coalition of regional K-12 educators and administrators, research universities and technical colleges, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, government agencies, funders, community leaders, and others. Working together, they define the desired skills and knowledge to promote South Carolina’s innovation-driven economy and provide educational opportunities for students to practice those inventive behaviors.
Save Your Place
Attendance at the South Carolina Invention Education Innovation Summit is free but limited to 100 participants.
Day 1 | October 22 - Invention Education 101
Offers a concentrated introduction to Invention Education principles and practices.
1 P.M. - 5 P.M.
- Invention Education 101
- Panel | Examples of Invention Education Successes in South Carolina
- Workshop | Solving a Problem through Invention Education
- Reception | “An Innovative Night at the Museum”
Day 1 | October 22 - “An Innovative Night at the Museum” Networking Reception
6:30 P.M. - 9 P.M.
- Meet Your SC Invention Education Ecosystem Partners and engage in hands-on invention activities (and more!)
Day 2 | October 23 - Ecosystem Launch
Explores existing efforts among educators, industry leaders, and government entities to promote Invention Education in South Carolina and identify future opportunities to strengthen the Ecosystem.
8 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.
- Welcome Breakfast
- Panel | “What does Invention Education Look Like in South Carolina?”
- Panel | “South Carolina as a Hotspot of Invention”
- Networking Lunch
- Discussion | Launching an Invention Education Ecosystem for South Carolina’s Future
See Full Event Schedule
Register Today
Who should attend the 2026 South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem Summit?
• Educators & Administrators: K-12 educators looking to integrate invention education, design thinking, and creative problem-solving into their classrooms and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.
• Program Providers & Non-Profits: Organizations providing invention education and/or CTE experiences for students.
• Researchers & Evaluators: Professionals focusing on invention education, pedagogy, and student skill development.
• Policy Makers & Administrators: Leaders working to advance CTE and invention education at local, regional, or state levels.
• Industry Leaders & Philanthropists: Those investing in future innovation and talent pipelines for South Carolina.
• Inventors, Innovators, Entrepreneurs: Those creating new technologies and bringing them to market willing to strengthen the South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem through their expertise, experience, and insights.
Why should YOU attend?
• Help prepare South Carolina’s students to address tomorrow’s most important and complex challenges.
• Engage with education, industry, government, and community leaders from across the state in dynamic discussions that will impact how South Carolina invents its future.
• Share experience and viewpoints through discussions, workshops, activities and demonstrations.
• Network with Invention Education Ecosystem colleagues during the evening reception on October 22.
Goals for the South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem Summit
South Carolina requires a framework for invention education to match the pace of its technological growth. The South Carolina Invention Education Ecosystem Summit will bring leaders together to identify key strategies to catalyze growth and strengthen South Carolina’s Invention Education Ecosystem.
You will:
Describe and assess current invention education efforts in South Carolina.
Explore invention education ecosystems with educators, industry and government leaders, and other ecosystem connectors in South Carolina.
Discover the knowledge, skills, and characteristics essential to South Carolina’s future workforce and how invention education can help develop these abilities.
Identify obstacles that inhibit South Carolina’s invention education ecosystem and identify strategies to bridge gaps in the invention education and innovation pipeline.
Help lay the foundation for existing and emerging opportunities that connect students with high tech jobs.
About InventEd and the Regional Summits
InventEd supports educators and innovators, programs, researchers, educators, students, and others who use invention education to empower students to solve real-world problems through creativity, collaboration, and empathy. Regional Summits bring together educators, organizations, and community and program leaders to share best practices, celebrate innovation, and strengthen regional ecosystems for creative learning, with this grant supported by The Lemelson Foundation.