Williamsburg County
One of the state’s first DEE communities, Williamsburg County, is changing the conversation around remote work, digital skills, and digital tools to support farmers and entrepreneurs.
A diverse group of 19 community leaders came together in 2019 to construct a custom DEE Roadmap with room for growth and flexibility. The plans initially included an innovation center and co-working space in Kingstree, the largest city in the county. But over time, the location shifted to the smaller community of Lane.
Spearheaded by Lane Mayor Charlie Fulton, the Digital Lane Innovation, Co-Working & Training Center is the centerpiece of the county’s growing DEE efforts. With 3,500 square feet in a former town hall-turned-community center, the Digital Lane provides digital skilling opportunities, co-working space, and networking activities to help residents enhance their knowledge, skillsets, and paychecks. The Digital Lane has big goals for the future, too. They’re creating a business accelerator space and partnering with the agriculture community on access to new markets, land management, and ag-tech training.
Some of Williamsburg County's most significant accomplishments to date include:
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Launching the Digital Lane Innovation, Training & Co-Working Center
Providing a rotating selection of digital skills training courses
Creating a “Tech Talk” networking program
Launching a telehealth center
Hosting a Summer Tech Institute for rising 7-9th graders
Adding a farmer’s market in downtown Kingstree
Adding drone piloting and website development courses at Williamsburg Technical College
Providing STEM Summer Camps
Creating an accelerator hub for new & emerging businesses