GREEN Charter School of the Midlands (GREEN Midlands) opened its doors in the 2017-2018 school year in Irmo, South Carolina. During the 2024-2025 school year, the school enrolled 255 students in grades K-8. Our low student-to-teacher ratio of 20:1 allows us to tailor instruction for each individual student, simultaneously challenging the gifted student while offering academic acceleration services for those who struggle to master grade level standards. GREEN Midlands prepares students for life in the 21st century by challenging and directing them toward mastery in areas such as problem-solving, teamwork, and communication. As a result, our students routinely perform in the top percentile on state-mandated assessments. Our school has experienced tremendous success with its unique educational model which focuses on STEM and environmental sustainability. The inquiry-based energy and engineering curriculum at GREEN Midlands involves defining a problem, identifying the criteria, imagining solutions, constructing and testing the design, and communicating the results. This process is incorporated into all core subjects taught at our school. Utilizing this model, our teachers act as the facilitators of content knowledge while students become the problem solvers. The rationale behind this inquiry-based approach is to facilitate student-generated questions as a core part of the learning process. Our school encourages students to be more environmentally responsible. These facets of our curriculum support the mission of GREEN in providing students with developing an understanding of environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and technology. GREEN Midlands employs the NEED Project (National Energy Education Delivery System) and PLTW (Project Lead the Way), a K-12 curriculum that focuses on problem-solving and engineering skills. Students work collaboratively in order to solve problems while following the engineering design process. The NEED Project curriculum provides comprehensive, objective information and activities involving the energy sources that fuel our country and involves studying their economic and environmental impact. Students explore energy from both a historical context and a current one. They explore future energy development opportunities and challenges. They understand that certain energy sources may be better choices for specific energy needs, and they discuss and debate the energy resources we use today and may use in the future. Another important component of the NEED Project is that it continually updates its curriculum. GREEN Midlands also utilizes PLTW in its elementary and middle school classrooms. The PLTW approach involves activity-based, project-based, and problem-based (APPB) learning, and incorporates hands-on, real-world projects that help students understand how the skills they are learning in the classroom can be applied in everyday life. PLTW's programs are comprehensive, and its curriculum is standards-based, while also flexible and customizable, allowing us to adapt it to the needs of our school and our students. A key component of the program is the intensive and ongoing professional development offered through the University of South Carolina. Using the extensive resources of NEED and PLTW, our school also provides an inquiry-based science program. We offer integrated science in grades K-8, with a focus on building strong habits of the mind and research skills while simultaneously following state-mandated standards. The diversity of GREEN Midlands’s student body is an additional asset to our learning community. Our student demographics for the 2024-2025 school year were as follows: 29% White; 5% Asian or Pacific Islander; 44% Black/African American; 11% Hispanic; and 12% two or more races. 49% percent of the student population participated in free or reduced lunch. At GREEN, we believe that every member of our learning communities – our students, staff, parents, and leaders -- is deserving of a voice and choice in academic, social, and professional pursuits. This is a highly prized ideal embedded within the GREEN strategic plan as well as a brand promise of the school’s leaders and its board. GREEN Midlands is thrilled with the opportunity to serve the educational needs of our community. We appreciate the support we have received from our families and surrounding neighbors. Our success is directly tied to the partnerships that have been formed and the dedication of teachers, staff, students, and parents. As we continue to strive for excellence, we look forward to the ongoing development and growth of GREEN Charter School Midlands in Irmo, SC.
