Flat-Rate Contract Courses

CarolinaCrED CORE offers Flat-Rate Contract Courses to schools, districts, and organizations for cohorts of up to 25 educators.

  • Applications of Project-Based Learning
  • Case Study in Classroom Management
  • Research and Reflection on Educational Practices
  • and more...

Customized Degree Programs

Would you like to help educators acquire leadership skills to become compassionate and creative change agents at the school and district level?

  • Masters of Education degree in Education Administration.

Add-on Certifications & Endorsements

Courses and degree programs that lead to professional certifications and endorsements to enhance your knowledge and skills while helping you advance your career.

  • Online Teaching
  • Special Education
  • English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
  • and more...

Resources, Stories & News


Our Team

Email:  cookm@mailbox.sc.edu

Marie Cook possesses more than 30 years of experience in the field of education. Prior to working at the University of South Carolina, she served as Student Services Coordinator with the Satellite Educational Resources Consortium (SERC). In this role, Marie provided technical and customer service assistance to schools, administrators, teachers and students of partnership members who received instruction through satellite learning. Marie also served as a classroom teacher for over 10 years. She taught business courses at Midlands Technical College and Mansfield Junior College. She served as advisor to students enrolled in FBLA student organization. During her tenure at USC, Marie has been honored with the STAR Award in the College of Education in 2016 and the Outstanding Job Performance Recognition in the College of Education in 2013. Marie enjoys helping educators reach their goals by providing personalized learning opportunities.

Email: SD51@mailbox.sc.edu

Stacy Dixon is a dedicated and experienced special education educator and instructional leader with 13 years of valuable expertise in the field. Stacy’s teaching journey has taken her across various states, including New Jersey, Washington, and Texas, where she has worked in different educational settings and gained a broad perspective on inclusive education. Her ability to adapt and thrive in diverse environments has enriched her understanding of best practices in special education. One of Stacy’s greatest passions lies in supporting teachers. She believes in the transformative power of education and is dedicated to empowering South Carolina educators to make a lasting difference in the lives of their students.

Email: sherylh@mailbox.sc.edu

Sheryl Horton serves as the Program Coordinator for Professional Partnerships and has worked for the University of South Carolina for 20 years. Prior to serving in this role, she served as the Student Services Coordinator for the Office of Educational Outreach. Sheryl is gifted at providing customer service assistance to schools, administrators, teachers, and students throughout the state of South Carolina. During her tenure in the College of Education, Sheryl has been honored with the 2013 Hidden Gem Award. She demonstrates a service mentality daily and thrives on helping educators enjoy the benefits of deep partnerships.

Email: stephaniemartin@sc.edu

Stephanie Martin is a seasoned public relations professional with experience in the nonprofit, government, utilities, and higher education industries. Her communication skills have been honed through positions with United Way, the state’s electric cooperative association, and Clemson University youth development programs. She has collaborated to win multiple ADDY awards and a Best of Show from the American Advertising Federation, in addition to several accolades from United Way of America and the Southern Public Relations Federation. Stephanie also taught in the USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications as an adjunct instructor for 6 years. She is now working with the CarolinaCrED programs — CarolinaCAP, CarolinaTIP, mCrED and CarolinaCrED CORE — to tell the many stories of educator successes.

Email: vanburen@sc.edu

Cindy Van Buren has been a SC educator since 1988. She has previously served as the Deputy Superintendent for the Division of School Effectiveness for the South Carolina Department of Education, the Chair of the Department of Education at Newberry College, the Director of Teacher Education at Winthrop University, and as a high school administrator and teacher at Rock Hill High School. Since joining the staff in the College of Education at USC in 2015, she has dedicated her work to building and maintaining partnerships that improve the lives of teachers, students, schools and districts in SC.