Liberty STEAM Charter School’s 2nd Annual Workforce Development Day

This October, Liberty STEAM Charter School invited Sumter Utilities to join Dr. McDonald’s 3rd-grade class for their 2nd annual “STEAM Day”—and we were thrilled to participate! This year’s event focused on hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving, as students took on the challenge of designing model additions to their school, from food courts and arcades to a swimming pool.

Director of Training, Mitch Johnson and Madelyn Charlton joined the young scholars, guiding them through the process of connecting wires from an existing underground transformer to a new one. Their goal? Powering their new addition by flipping a switch to light it up—a signal that their model was successfully connected to the transformer.

Mitch also gave students a glimpse into the utility world by demonstrating different grades of wire and showing examples of underground transformer boxes. Dr. McDonald even donned our rubber gloves and sleeves, showcasing the critical role of PPE in our industry. As a special highlight, we brought an excavator to demonstrate the machines used to dig underground trenches and install heavy wiring.

Each 3rd-grade class then presented their ideas and learnings to school board members on November 8th, and while we did not win this year, the class was filled with pride over all they had accomplished. When Mitch and Madelyn returned to celebrate the completion of the project, all of the students shouted, “Mitch!” greeting him with excitement.

We’re grateful to Liberty STEAM Charter School for this ongoing partnership and the opportunity to help inspire the next generation of innovators!