Gov’s School starting year with challenge course

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics is kicking off the school year with a field trip.

The residential school for academically talented juniors and seniors is taking its 133 students to the challenge course Monday at Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia.

The director of the school’s economics institute says the experience is designed to teach students the value of team work, and to jumpstart future collaborations.

The students will be divided into 12 teams. Half will tackle the challenge course while the other listens to Princeton’s 2010 commencement address by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos titled “We Are What We Choose.”

Monday is the start of the school year for many districts across the state.