Education

Education

With a dynamic public school district, numerous continuing education opportunities at the University of South Carolina, and an interactive 40-foot-high child—EDDIE®—at the EdVenture Children’s Museum, Innovista is a place of intellectual stimulation.

Innovista offers dynamic learning opportunities
“Innovista shares a common goal with Richland One school district: to pursue excellence as we prepare our students and community for the global challenges and opportunities of the future,” says Dr. Allen Coles, superintendent of Richland One. “As Columbia undergoes a renaissance as the place for families to live, learn, work, and play, Richland One and projects like Innovista play a vital role in this exciting transformation.”

Top teachers, administrators, programs
Nearly 200 district teachers have earned the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the highest credential available, and Richland One offers the highest teaching salaries in the Columbia area. The National Association of Elementary School Principals named a district administrator its top principal in 2006.

The district also has prestigious International Baccalaureate programs at three schools, has produced National Merit Scholarship finalists, fielded award-winning teams at a University-sponsored robotics competition, and been named in 2002 and 2006 one of the “Best 100 Communities for Music Education in the United States” by the American Music Conference.

Richland One’s ‘Urban Advantage’
The community supports the district’s growth and modernization, overwhelmingly approving a $381 million bond issue—the largest in state history—in November 2002. Richland One’s slogan, “Discover the Urban Advantage,” emphasizes its programs and amenities for students in the downtown area, such as:

• South Carolina’s only Challenger Learning Center for space science and exploration.
• Heyward Career and Technology Center, the only high school in the Midlands with the highest certification of excellence for a technical school
• The KNIGHT Foundation Arts-Infused Programs that help fund after-school opportunities at EdVenture, the Riverbanks Zoo, Trustus Theater, and the Columbia Museum of Art.

EDDIE® and Higher Ed
EdVenture is the perfect hands-on, experiential learning center for children and adults. Visitors can climb through the three-story-tall EDDIE® and get an up-close view of his vital organs. Also featured are seven other permanent exhibitions and a host of programs and summer camps.

Combined with the University’s credit- and non-credit continuing education programs and more than 350 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, there is no shortage of lifelong learning experiences for residents of all ages.

Related Links

Richland One
Richland One is an award-winning public school district representing downtown Columbia and surrounding areas

University’s colleges & schools
A listing of the University’s degree-granting academic colleges and schools

University’s academic course descriptions
University Academic Bulletins provide detailed information about course offerings and faculty

Continuing education
University courses include credit, non-credit, night, weekend, and professional development options