USC Salkehatchie offers free AI workshops in Allendale County

Small business owners, job seekers and office workers in Allendale County got another free path into artificial intelligence this June, as USC Salkehatchie brought its workshop series to both its Allendale and Walterboro campuses.

The sessions were open to anyone who wanted to learn the basics of AI, how the tools can be used in business settings and how they can improve workplace productivity. That matters in a rural county where a trip to larger cities can make even short training programs hard to reach, especially for residents trying to build new skills without adding travel costs or lost work time.

USC Salkehatchie had already used its iCarolina Lab on the Allendale campus for earlier free AI workshops, and the June series followed that same community-focused model. In February 2025, the school offered two free sessions there, “Generative AI for Beginners” and “Utilizing AI in Your Business,” led by Glen Caruso and Marcia Purday, APR. Attendance was capped at 20 participants per session, a sign that the classes were meant to be hands-on rather than lecture-driven. Participants who attended both sessions received a certificate of completion.

The university’s iCarolina Learning Labs at the Allendale and Walterboro campuses provide free high-speed internet, Apple devices and workshop opportunities for the community, staff, faculty and students. At Walterboro, the lab is housed at the Peden B. McLeod Library, 807 Hampton St., and it is listed as open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Allendale location sits on USC Salkehatchie’s West Campus.

That local footprint gives the AI workshops practical value beyond the classroom. A resident running a small business can use AI to draft marketing posts, summarize customer emails or build a quick flyer. A job seeker can use it to sharpen a résumé, practice interview answers or learn the language employers are using. An office worker can use it to organize notes, speed up routine writing and cut down on repetitive tasks. In a county where access to digital tools can shape who gets hired, who gets noticed and who can work more efficiently, even a short free course series can carry real weight.

USC Salkehatchie, founded in 1965, has long served as a local access point for education in the Lowcountry. The June workshops fit into a larger University of South Carolina push that includes free ChatGPT access for students, faculty and staff and a new undergraduate certificate in artificial intelligence literacy. At Salkehatchie, the same shift is landing in a more immediate way: as a free, local training opportunity that puts emerging technology within reach of Allendale County residents.