GSSM celebrates Google/GSSM AI Grant announcement
The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (GSSM) highlighted its growing initiative with Google during Inside GSSM Family Day on Saturday, March 7, 2026, welcoming more than 100 attendees who gathered for a featured announcement spotlighting the Google–GSSM AI Grant. The moment celebrated a multi-year collaboration expanding access to artificial intelligence education for students and educators across South Carolina and strengthening the state’s future technology workforce.
During the event, families, educators, and community partners, including Hartsville Mayor Dan Askins, Senator J.D. Chaplin, Representative Robert Williams, Hartsville City Manager Dan Moore, and Google’s Head of External Affairs – Southeast, Lilyn Hester learned more about how Google’s investment is helping position GSSM as a statewide leader in AI literacy through the GSSM A.I. Faculty Fellows Program and the A.I. Educator Development Summer Institute. These efforts are equipping teachers with tools, curriculum, and training to integrate AI into classrooms while preparing students with skills needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.
GSSM President Danny Dorsel emphasized the significance of the relationship and the impact it will have on students and educators across the state.
“Google has long been a landing place for many GSSM alumni. This initiative represents a significant investment in GSSM and in the future of South Carolina’s students and educators, highlighting the critical role GSSM plays in driving the state’s education and innovation economy,” said Dorsel.
The announcement also underscored how this collaboration aligns with Google’s Data Centers Community Investment Program, which supports STEM education, AI literacy, and economic growth in communities across South Carolina. Together, GSSM and Google are advancing a shared commitment to innovation, access, and opportunity for all South Carolinians.
Inside GSSM Family Day served as an ideal backdrop for celebrating this partnership, bringing together families, educators, and community stakeholders to see firsthand how collaborative investments in education can shape the future of learning across the state.
Jackie Weber, Director of the GSSM Center for Science Education & Outreach, highlighted how the support from Google will expand opportunities for educators and students to engage with emerging technologies.
“We are so grateful to Google for their support of our efforts to bring Artificial Intelligence and data science to our students across the state. We are honoring our educators by offering them high-quality professional development opportunities like the AI Summer Institute, happening this July, and a no-cost curriculum resource bank that provides lesson resources. On March 7, we are celebrating Google’s dedication to empowering educators to prepare our students for the jobs of the future. Every industry in South Carolina—from manufacturing to farming to Google’s own data centers and AI infrastructure—will be powered by the students of South Carolina today, and our teachers make that happen,” said Weber.
GSSM is a two-year public residential high school that provides students with a rigorous academic program in a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment. The GSSM Center for Science Education & Outreach extends the school’s mission by creating opportunities for younger students to engage in STEM education and prepare for advanced studies and careers.
To learn more about the GSSM and Google collaboration, go to https://www.scgssm.org/AIEducatorProgram…
To learn more about GSSM and its programs, visit scgssm.org.