YLA Overview

YLA Overview

We want to help each student discover and come into confident possession of his/her unique abilities, demonstrate mastery of the academic foundational standards necessary for a successful future, and establish qualities that will enable him/her to become a healthy, productive citizen and community leader.

Strong Academics

YLA's innovative model is ideal for self-motivated students who want to experience success outside the traditional middle school setting in a small group, hands-on learning environment with a rigorous curriculum based on teamwork. YLA's curriculum includes Math, Science, English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Physical Education, and Leadership.

Building Healthy Habits

With a daily commitment to physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices, YLA hopes to instill healthy habits that will carry forward into adulthood, thus producing a healthier, more vibrant and active workforce.

Go Beyond the Classroom

On beautiful fall and spring days, our students love the opportunity to learn in one of our two outdoor classrooms.


Learning Made Fun

We've organized our school into four "houses", which compete during the year for academic and non-academic prizes.

Great Extracurriculars

We offer a number of great extracurricular activities, including Beta Club, LEGO® Robotics, running club, drama club, chess club, science club, and house council.

We also offer skills development in areas designed to help students grow in youth leadership, teamwork, environmental awareness and character education.

A Unique University Partnership

One of our key partners is the Clemson University Learning Institute (CULI). The CULI team encourages and supports academic success, while offering students hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that have real world impact. Annually, 30,000+ participants take part in their programs throughout South Carolina. Partners since the charter school's inception, Clemson University is one more reason why our school stands out.

288

Students

33

Acres on Campus

We have had an amazing experience at Youth Leadership Academy. Our children have not only thrived from an academic standpoint, but from social, physical and emotional aspects as well. Academically, our children have been challenged with successful results. When needed, teachers were willing to provide extra help to ensure they mastered the skills required. Socially, smaller class sizes allowed our children to develop strong, lasting relationships with other students. This provided growth in self-confidence, as well as, ability to enjoy each school day. Physically, our children have learned that exercise and healthy eating are necessary parts of daily life. Finally, from an emotional perspective, our children have created strong bonds with both students and staff (including the principal and office staff). Our children feel safe and truly cared for by all. Middle school is a challenging time for many children. We are very blessed that our children have had the opportunity to attend the fantastic program at Youth Leadership Academy.

Julie L., Parent

What is a charter school?

A charter school is a public school that is allowed the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable to the same academic standards as all state public schools. Charter schools provide an alternative to other public schools, are part of the public education system, do not charge tuition and are open to any student who desires to apply for admission.

Staying active

YLA has a vibrant partnership with Crossfit for our Crossfit YLA curriculum, which provides our students with fantastic and fun health curriculum.

Interested in applying to YLA? Apply Online