For high school students interested in the world of construction, a unique new education option is coming to Horry County.
South Carolina Construction Academy (SCCA), a new charter school in Myrtle Beach, is set to open in August of 2026 and is now accepting enrollment applications for the 2026-27 school year. The charter, affiliated with the Charter Institute at Erskine, will combine academics with hands-on construction experience to create a new type of opportunity for students across the area.
.jpg)
Principal Jae Love Anderson, a former Horry County Schools assistant principal with more than two decades in education, said she is eager to introduce families to a different model of learning.
“I’ve always felt strongly that our students and our families deserve a choice in where they go to school,” Anderson said. “Our school is going to be focused on hands-on experiences in a skills-based instructional environment. We’re trying to encourage these students to go into the construction industry.”
SCCA will be located at 1900 Mr. Joe White Avenue in Myrtle Beach, inside the large building that previously housed the Golf Academy of America. Anderson said the layout of the facility makes it ideal for trade-based instruction.
Anderson says one of the standout features of the school will be the large space in the center of the building, which is planned to be used for hands-on construction projects.
“I think the greatest thing about this school is that we’re going to have a construction lab,” she said. “In the middle of the building is this huge area, and that’s where this lab is going to be. We will have CTE [Career and Technical Education] teachers there and others from local industries. They will have hands-on learning instruction for our students.”
Students who graduate from SCCA will meet the same curriculum requirements as traditional public school students, as mandated for all state charter schools. What will differ is the emphasis on career pathways such as electrical, plumbing, carpentry and eventually HVAC.
“We owe it to these students to provide them with unique opportunities so they can select the pathway that best suits them,” Anderson said. “If they don’t know their options, we definitely, as educators, have not done our job. Our direct mission is to serve the members of our community and shape the futures of our students.”
.jpg)
The school will serve grades 9 through 12 and will be managed by the Educational Empowerment Group, an Ohio-based organization that operates dozens of charter schools.
Anderson noted that CEO Wendy Rydarowicz oversees 31 charter schools in Ohio, bringing extensive experience to the Myrtle Beach project.
A key element of the academy will be collaboration with area construction companies so students can gain real-world experience before graduation.
“My vision is that they will be working and collaborating with various businesses,” Anderson said. “There are so many opportunities for kids to have hands-on learning with Myrtle Beach companies that already exist. I want us to experiment and explore in our building, but I want us to take what we know and what we are learning and push all of that out into the community to serve others.”
The building will also be shared with Morning Star Academy, a new K-8 charter school focused on STEAM education — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Anderson said high school students will take part in projects that directly benefit the younger children.
“We want to complement what they are learning and doing by building things that will help those young students,” Anderson said. “For example, my students might be building the vegetable and garden boxes where the younger students can plant in. Our students will build a greenhouse. They’re going to do things that complement the elementary side of the school.”
Parents seeking additional details can visit scconstructionedu.org, where enrollment is currently open. The school is also hosting two virtual information sessions for families on Saturday, Feb. 7 and Monday, Feb. 9. More information is available by calling 843-829-6858.
Originally reported by Joe Wedra in My Horry News.
.png)
