Carolina Shores Acceleration Academy teams up with Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW)— Carolina Shores Acceleration Academy, a public charter high school, recently celebrated its partnership with the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Director Deirdra Brasch said teaming up with the chamber aims to involve students in the local community and prepare them for life after high school.
“It really focuses on the whole student,” Brasch said. “Not just, you know, you’ve got your diploma, good luck. We want them to go and be productive members of the local community.”
The partnership with the chamber of commerce allows the charter school to connect with local businesses. Recently, the academy did a business-to-business convention with the chamber.
Brasch said the academy was able to make connections with local organizations and touted the benefits it will bring students.
“We’ve been able to make connections with a local bank and going to be offering personal finance workshops,” Brasch said. “Another one was an HR-type organization. They’re going to come in and work with our kids on resumes, and cover letters.”
The academy offers a personalized hybrid learning model, requiring students to spend 12 hours in-person and 12 hours online each week.
“They’re able to set their schedule,” Brasch said. “What works for them, what doesn’t work for them, and really start building those life skills along with getting their high school diploma.”
The academy has tuition-free education for students aged 14 to 21 seeking a high school diploma. The school is funded by the South Carolina Public Charter School District.
Brasch said there is a certain level of autonomy and students need to be a little more self-directed.
“We have graduation candidate advocates who are assigned to one student and will stay with them throughout their time enrolled with us to really make sure that they’re on track,” Brasch said.
Brasch adds there are content coaches who work with students specifically on the curriculum.
“They can receive support through Zoom or other means with our content coaches,” Brasch said. “Who are fully credentialed in each of their subject areas.”
The academy opened in September and had only 18 students enrolled. As of February, enrollment has grown to almost 130 students.
“It’s such a different model than I think a lot of people are used to but coming out of school closures in the pandemic and what we learned from the education space during that time. We learned a lot,” Brasch said. “And I think a lot of kids have come out saying I can have that level of independence and self-sufficiency and what’s going on at the traditional school is not necessarily for me.”
Brasch said the academy’s long-term goal is to continue enrolling students. There is no cap on the number of students the academy can enroll.
“We do have to pay attention to how many students we would have on-site at any given number of times to make sure there’s adequate staffing,” Brasch said. “But we do have the ability to expand once our enrollment hits a certain number.”
To learn more about how to enroll, go to the academy’s website.
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Savannah Denton joined News 13 in July 2023 as a reporter and producer. Savannah is from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Follow Savannah on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here.
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