SDPC
Randy Robinson (SDPC Board Chair) began the ceremony.
SDPC
A commemorative shovel, signed by attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony, will be displayed in the remodeled building at Gateway to Innovation.
SDPC
Dr. Danny Merck (Superintendent) and Tim Johnson (Director of Gateway to Innovation) along with family, SDPC staff, and community members in attendance at the ceremony.
SDPC
Janice Stewart and Mendel H. Stewart (Campus Namesake and Honoree) pictured here with a framed commemorative rendering of the anticipated Gateway to Innovation campus.
SDPC
(Pictured left to right) The first to break ground at Gateway to Innovation: Betty Garrison (SDPC Board Member), Betty Bagley (SDPC Board Member), Randy Robinson (SDPC Board Chair), Dr. Danny Merck (SDPC Superintendent), Shannon Haskett (SDPC Board Member), Dr. Mendel Stewart (Campus Namesake and Honoree), Tim Johnson (Director of Gateway to Innovation), Karla Kelley (SDPC Board Vice Chair), and Brad Dover (SDPC Board Member).
SDPC
PICKENS – The School District of Pickens County (SDPC) officially broke ground today on its highly anticipated “Gateway to Innovation” (G2i), a future-focused Career and Technical Education (CTE) campus at the former Pickens Middle School. The facility — renamed the Dr. Mendel Stewart Campus — will open in January 2027 and serve as a vibrant hub for exploration, innovation and real-world skill development for students across Pickens County.
“Today marks more than the start of a building — it is the beginning of a story that will echo for generations,” said Tim Johnson, director of G2i. “Gateway to Innovation represents opportunity, hope, and transformation for every student who walks through its doors.”
G2i reimagines career and technical education for all students in Pickens County:
● Grades 3–7: Students will visit G2i for engaging, project-based experiences designed to spark curiosity and career awareness, connecting classroom learning to the real world.
● Grades 8–9: Students will explore pathways in fields such as artificial intelligence, construction, biomedical sciences, and drones, selecting one pathway to complete by ninth grade.
● Grades 8–12: Advanced CTE offerings will align with high-wage, high-demand careers—including Electricity, Engineering, Environmental and Natural Resource Management, and Health Science—allowing students to earn industry-recognized skills and credentials in as little as two years.
Importantly, G2i will not replace the existing Pickens County Career and Technology Center (PCCTC). Instead, it will serve as a second career and technical education facility, expanding opportunities for students — particularly those in the Pickens community and schools located farther from the PCCTC campus — to participate in high-quality CTE programs.
In addition to student programs, the campus will provide high-quality, affordable on-site childcare for SDPC employees, supporting educators and attracting top talent to the district. Evenings will feature expanded workforce development opportunities for adults through partnerships with local institutions such as Tri-County Technical College.
“This campus will not only change the lives of students — it will strengthen the city of Pickens and all of Pickens County,” Johnson added. “It will support small businesses, attract new industries, and energize our local economy. It will also serve as an example for the entire country of what Career and Technical Education can look like when a community comes together.”
The project is made possible through the vision of SDPC leadership, the support of the SDPC Board of Trustees, the work of Triangle Construction and Goodwyn Mills Cawood, and partnerships with local businesses, industry leaders, and the PCCTC faculty and staff.
By dedicating the campus to Dr. Mendel Stewart, SDPC honors a leader whose name has become synonymous with service, integrity, and vision. Stewart’s legacy will live on as each new generation of students connects their passions to their future at G21, they said.