When a Clemson alumnus has 10 characters after their name in the way Katie Britton ’14, M’18, EdD’25 does, it’s safe to say she’s a lifelong fan of the University. However, earning several degrees doesn’t earn someone a spot among the Roaring 10; that happens when degrees turn into impact, and throughout an already varied career, Britton has positively impacted students, families and communities across the School District of Pickens County.
Britton is poised to do all that and more as assistant director of the Gateway to Innovation (G2i), the district’s in-progress transformation of the former Pickens Middle School into a hub combining project-based learning, makerspaces, career pathways and workforce development for students ranging from third grade to high school.
Britton is excited about this new role as G2i prepares to open in January 2027, seeing it as a culmination of her experience thus far and a natural next step in her career.
“I have always been passionate about making learning engaging and meaningful, and the best way to do that is to connect education to real-world application,” Britton said. “I think [G2i] will create experiences that help students understand why learning matters.”
Britton began her professional career in 2014 as a special education teacher at Plain Elementary School in Greenville County. She transitioned to a second-grade teacher and was recognized as the county’s Emerging Teacher of the Year in 2018.
During this time, she earned both a master’s in educational leadership and began pursuing a master’s in instructional design and learning technology from Anderson University. In 2021, she assumed her most recent role as an instructional technology coach in the School District of Pickens County.
She served students and teachers throughout the district, supporting more than 70 classrooms in integrating effective instructional technology that develops the skills of 21st-century learners. She also became heavily involved in the district’s mobile learning lab, which traveled to schools to deliver STEM experiences, reaching approximately 6,000 students each year through coding, robotics and STEM programming.
However, despite a career that has taken her out of a special education classroom, Britton is still driven by the values instilled in her as an undergraduate at Clemson.
“Creating educational experiences that apply to and include all learners informed my instructional philosophy early on, and that has never changed,” Britton said. “Even though I have now learned to take a broader view, I think that learner-centered approach will guide me.”
Her third, most recent Clemson degree was an EdD in systems improvement science, a program she completed alongside a cohort of other district leaders from Pickens. Its focus on systems thinking and sustainable change strategies certainly pushed Britton to think in a “broader” way, but she also enjoyed the program because it required connecting learning to real-world practice.
The program requires participants to focus on a “problem of practice” in their own work setting that can be solved through research. Britton focused on instructional technology, professional development and technology integration in the district to ensure meaningful use of technology rather than merely increasing use.
“Activities such as screen-free coding and robotics activities help students learn how to think instead of simply how to use a device,” Britton said. “There’s a big difference there. I advocate for balanced technology use where technology is a tool for creation and problem solving rather than a tool for consumption.”
Britton was drawn to the position at G2i because it was designed to serve the broader Pickens community via elementary STEM programming and high school career and technical education pathways. That “balanced” approach to technology will be present, and no matter what grade level is served, it will be used to provide education that links to a practical use.
G2i also includes affordable, high-quality childcare for district employees — a major bonus for Britton, who is the mother of two young children, and other teachers, to encourage recruitment and retention in the district. If she takes a broad view now, it’s of the community where she has chosen to raise a family, and how she can play a part in making it the best it can be for them.
“Our goal is really to make great people in Pickens County, and we want to make the community a place they want to stay in,” Britton said. “I am really excited to be [at G2i] when we open our doors, because it’s truly going to be a place that helps students discover where they want to go and then helps them get there.”
