Lower Richland HS and EngenuitySC Host 2nd Dress for Success Showcase April 24

April 20, 2015

COLUMBIA, SC – Fresh from earning the first AdvancED STEM Certification in Richland County School District 1, Lower Richland High School will collaborate again with lead project coordinator, EngenuitySC, on the second annual Dress For Success student showcase.

The thriving Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program at Lower Richland High School (LRHS) will hold its second Dress for Success day to help students answer questions like “How should you dress for an interview?,” “What is proper dining etiquette for a business luncheon?,” and “How should you address your colleagues in a professional setting?”

To prepare for Dress for Success, participating students will partake in wardrobe consultations and shop for business-appropriate outfits with local mentors from University of South Carolina’s Phi Theta Sigma Fraternity and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at JC Penney; they will receive instruction on clothing and accessories compliments of the retailer’s own “Dress for Success” program.

Students also will get makeovers by trainees at Paul Mitchell the School Columbia, featuring business-appropriate makeup and hairstyles. In addition, they will participate in “soft skills” training sessions, including an etiquette dinner at Solstice Kitchen with Patricia Jones, Assistant Director in the Office of Career Management at USC’s Moore School of Business. This year, the student showcase will serve as a fundraiser for LRHS’ STEM program, with participants selling tickets to the showcase prior to the event at $1.00 per student ticket and $3.00 per adult ticket.

Dress for Success will take place on April 24, 2015 from 2:00 – 3:10 p.m. in Lower Richland High School’s auditorium.

Last year’s inaugural Dress for Success showcase was launched as a part of the STEM program’s year-round soft skills initiative, led by Paul Smith, founder of BEST Carolina. LRHS and lead project coordinator, EngenuitySC, place great importance on students’ ability to navigate the business world successfully, from learning how to answer questions confidently to expanding their understanding of STEM fields through coursework initiatives.

 

About the Lower Richland STEM Program

The goal of the STEM initiative is to build a rich network and solid platform for collaboration that will prepare students for success and eventual leadership roles in the new global marketplace. Since receiving a federal School Improvement Grant (SIG) and transforming into a STEM school in 2011, LRHS has consistently outperformed fellow high schools in its district, recently earning AdvancED STEM Certification for outstanding performance. Since 2013, EngenuitySC has served as lead project coordinator, including the development of new student advancement initiatives and opportunities within and beyond the STEM program.

STEM Program partners:

• EngenuitySC
• Richland School District One
• Richland County
• University of South Carolina (USC)
• Midlands Education & Business Alliance (MEBA)
• BEST Carolina (Business and Entrepreneurial Students Together, LLC)
• IT-oLogy
• Microburst Learning
• Others

About Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education

The goal of STEM-related professional learning is to support teachers with pedagogical-content knowledge that translates into effective classroom practices which integrates the four domains of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a result, students in effective STEM classrooms learn how to identify, apply and integrate concepts from those four domains in order to understand complex problems and to solve problems using innovative approaches.

 

About EngenuitySC

Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., EngenuitySC is a public-private partnership focused on enhancing our region’s economic competitiveness and prosperity. Through collaboration with business, government, higher education and community leaders, EngenuitySC builds partnerships and measures success around five indicators of competitive communities. Through our innovative process, unique vision and ability to create a plan and deliver results, EngenuitySC is working to build a more competitive and prosperous Midlands region. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com.