GSSM Students Prepare for Future Roles

For the third year in a row, incoming juniors at the SC Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) will kick off their two years together by tackling the challenge course at Saluda Shoals Park on Monday, August 19, 10am to 4pm. All 125 incoming students will travel from Hartsville to Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia. The challenge course provides students the opportunity to face and overcome challenges together, while building camaraderie and learning new skills. The students will begin developing entrepreneurial thinking and smart risk-taking practices, while experiencing the strength of a diverse team that shares a common purpose.This team building day is a component of the school’s Blue Cross Blue Shield Economics and Finance Institute, which was created to aid students in developing the knowledge required to be leaders in a globally competitive economy. The students will be divided into 12 teams. Half will take on the challenge course for the first part of the day, while the others will participate in an indoor workshop designed to reinforce the challenge course lessons. Teams will switch places midday, giving everyone a comprehensive experience.  The Challenge Day is a prelude to the next Economics and Finance Institute activity, Start Up GSSM Day, which takes place September 20 on the Hartsville campus. Students will be introduced to Design Thinking, a methodology and process for solving real-world problems developed and popularized by the IDEO Corporation and the Stanford University Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.