TALK 94.5 Liz And Nick
TALK 94.5 Liz And Nick
NEW DIRECTIONS WITH KATHY JENKINS 6/16/26
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Tuesdays for Hope with New Directions right now on the Liz Callaway show with Nick Summer's talk for the entire grand strand.
SPEAKER_01All right, it is 9.39. So that means it's Tuesdays for Hope with Kathy Jenkins. She is the CEO of New Directions of Rory County. Go to helpnewdirections.org to learn more. Good morning. Good morning, Liz. Good to see you. Morning, Nick. Hey, Kathy, how are you? You didn't tell anybody about this, did you?
SPEAKER_00I did not tell anybody. Don't ruin it. Don't ruin it.
SPEAKER_01Oh. Yes, yes. He's uh incognito. Yes. All right, Kathy.
SPEAKER_00I think you should add a mustache.
SPEAKER_01I think so. Yeah. Yeah. Should I do like that? Like a like a Foo Man 2 one? Oh, that would be really good. That would be really good. I don't know. Oh, okay. I get stubbly and all my kids go, Danny, you need to use that. Exactly, exactly. All right, Kathy. So how are things going, you know, with the with um, I guess, homelessness in the city of Myrtle Beach. We're in the beginnings of the tourist season.
SPEAKER_00Well, um we were just talking about that this morning at the men's shelter. How many people are coming. And um I I I really couldn't tell you if they're coming from outside the area. We didn't get that far into the conversation. But we have so many people who are coming to try to get into the program. So we're looking at how do we reconfigure things to maybe be able to accommodate more men.
SPEAKER_01I mean, it's okay if they're getting into the program, but yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. But there are some that there are some and you know, we've provided some beds, 22 overnight beds for people who are living on the streets, and maybe we need to reconfigure that. I mean, our mission is to help people get back on their feet, not to help them stay homeless. And um, if you just provide basic needs and basic services, I've always felt like that's really what you're doing is helping them stay homeless for one more day. So um um, but it is incredibly busy this summer. Yeah. And it's just the beginning of the summer.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. Well, I'm sure you'll have all the stats on it at the end of the year as usual. Uh well, as usual, you are producing your own segment here. So tell us uh you invited this uh lovely person here.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I invited Jay Anderson. She is the principal of the brand new South Carolina Construction Academy. And um for people who have not heard yet about what they're doing, she is here to talk about who they are, what they're doing, what they're trying to accomplish, and I'm really excited that she gets to share today.
SPEAKER_01All right. Well, welcome to the show. The principal Jay Anderson. Good morning. Thank you. Good morning. So tell us um when will you officially be open for schooling?
SPEAKER_02So um we are currently in uh what we would call an open enrollment phase. Okay. Um our first day of school is August 19th for students.
SPEAKER_01Okay. And so what are you what kind of criteria are you looking for in students? Do they apply? Is it high school? Is it college level? Yes.
SPEAKER_02So um we are a tuition-free public charter high school serving students nine through twelve. Um there is no application process. Um we are open enrollment, so any student um that is a high school student, ninth through twelfth grade, um, enrolls with us and can begin on August 19th. They also um do not have to start August 19th. So if a student starts um at another school or if they are have moved here from another area, they can transfer. They can transfer over. They don't have to start on day one and we accept throughout the year.
SPEAKER_01So if a parent is listening to this uh about this tuition-free opportunity, what would they what would you say that they would notice about their child or interests or abilities that would say, hey, we should go check this out. Maybe this is of interest to you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So um our focus is with the trades industry. Um we are uh a hands-on experience, so students will earn their South Carolina high school diploma. Um we are a charter high school, so our charter is with the Charter Institute at Erskine, which is in Columbia, South Carolina. Okay. So our teachers are South Carolina certified with math, English, science, and social studies. Um, but in addition to that, they have the opportunity to uh receive credentials in either electrical, plumbing, or carpentry. Those are the three trades that we are beginning the school year with. Um as we grow um and develop our program, we'll be adding some other pathways. When you say credentials, what does that mean? Okay, so um, for example, um our curriculum is with NCC, it's N C E R. I'll always mess up that acronym, but it's the National Council on Construction and Education Research. Okay. Um, so regardless of the acronym, that's what it stands for. Okay. Um but anyway, so our students will earn a credential. There's uh, like, for example, if they choose electrical, there's electrical one, two, three, and four. So each semester they would take that particular course, and then that certifies them so that they can go straight out into the workforce work ready. So instead of, you know, a a traditional student who goes to high school, they graduate with their South Carolina high school diploma. They may not know what they want to do and they've just earned their diploma, where we are gonna have apprenticeships, internships, opportunities to experience the workforce and they're gonna be like hireable, they're gonna be ready for hire.
SPEAKER_01Okay, but what if they decide they also want to go to college? Are they set up for that or or are they only in one pipeline?
SPEAKER_02No, ma'am. So they can either they can choose. We are very um student driven. So um, you know, every one of our students will participate in an um a graduation plan. And so they can choose. Do they want to go straight into the workforce? Do they want to go to a two-year technical school or a four-year college? So um we have a school counselor that we've hired, and um every student's transcript will be reviewed and we will do uh an interest inventory to see what they you know what their pathway is, um, where they're headed.
SPEAKER_01We used to have a book called What Color Is Your Parachute. Do you remember that book? No. Do you remember that book, Kathy?
SPEAKER_00I do.
SPEAKER_01That is like the best book. In fact, Quintern, you should get that. What color is your parachute? Do you have that book? So you read this book and it helps you decide what career path you should, you know, you're made for. Right, right. Like this questionnaire you're talking about.
SPEAKER_02Very true, very true. But that's what we really want to glean from students is what are you interested in? But here's the best part. Here's the best part is young people sometimes don't know what they don't know. Right. Right? I mean, they don't know what opportunities are out there. And it's our job as an educator, my job as an educator, to show them what their opportunities are. Um so I will have various guest speakers in, um, you know, monthly speakers. We have um a wonderful facility. We're um off of Mr. Joe White Avenue. Um, and so two schools are in this building. It's a K through eight program, Morningstar Academy, and they are in one side of the building. Oh, so you have K through eight as well. We do. So um so we um yeah, we have are managed by an educational group out of Ohio. So Wendy Ryderowitz um manages, owns this company, she's the CEO, and she saw a vision and saw a need, um, listened to the community. Uh, we are actually members of Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. So we got very involved in the community to find out what is it, what kind of high school is needed here in Myrtle Beach. And the voices were heard, and it was in the construction industry. And so that's where Wendy developed the high school. But then a lot of the community members were saying, Hey, hey, bring a charter K through eight school. We would, you know, we need that. We need options, we want small group, we want steam focused, we want these opportunities for our young people. So kindergarten through eighth grade on one side of the building, yeah, ninth through twelfth on the other. Um, and then they are separated though. Yeah. So I don't want, you know, yeah, I don't want families to think that we're like, you know, mingling between each other. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Nope, nope, nope. Um very interesting. Now, um, how many students can you accommodate?
SPEAKER_02So my first year, which like I said, this is our first year, um, we are focusing on 100 students. Total. Total. And right now I have 41 enrolled. Okay. So um, like I said, we are in open enrollment. They were talking small class size. Yes, definitely small class sizes for for many reasons. Um, because we want to be more student-centered. Um, we are not gonna we will have technology in the building. All of our teachers will have the smart boards, you know, we will have those laptops for research um opportunities. However, we are very um instructional and hands-on, making sure that, you know, like for example, if if my student is in a math class, they are lurking they are learning construction math in addition to goodness. Well, learning learning how to hold a measuring tape and actually measure something. Um, finding the right tools and you know, and and using machinery in a safe way. So what all of our students will go through OSHA, making sure that they are safe and certified in that. Um, and then like I said, in addition, they can choose what pathway. They can also cross over pathways. So, for example, if a student takes a carpentry class and they're like, Okay, that was really cool, I like that, but I'm not really feeling it. Okay, they can go over to electrical, they can do both. Um, so and also at the same time, we're partnering with Ori Georgetown Technical College. Um, very happy to work with uh people like Charles Granger and Vincent Myers, uh Brandon Hazeldon, that group. They are gonna be offering dual opportunities for our high school students, and in addition to finding other areas of construction pathways, so like welding, construction management is Ori Georgetown Tech. Yeah. So um, you know, we're we're really wanting our students to find um opportunities in this field. Um, you know, there's designing, there's engineering, there's drafting, there's all different kinds of focus pathways that we can help students find. That's great. And I know I'm just just going on and on and on, but I'm excited. I'm excited. And I think that's the biggest piece for me is that I'm excited. Yeah. And so I think that what I really want families to know is that I'm in it to win it with your student. You know, I'm not just a building principal. I want to see your child flourish. I want to see your student.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's exciting as a teacher to be able to reach children in this new way. And it's like building their lives, um, and you know, being a construction academy. I mean, that's really it's just the layers and layers of all sorts of experiences that you wouldn't normally get in a regular school. And you're going to have this very low teacher to student ratio, which I think is tremendous. I mean, I'm very excited for um not only the students, but the teachers who really want to get back into why are we all holding these handheld screens 24-7? I'm on this big kick to get those iPads out of school. Nick knows. I've talked about it many times, and I think they get enough screen time at home. Uh the last thing they need is more disconnection from human um I guess contact or human uh communication. And it keeps their eyes up. And you miss a lot when you're looking down at a screen all day.
SPEAKER_02Agreed. And and we want that um, you know, anytime you're w in the workforce, you gotta learn how to work with each other. Absolutely. So we will be doing a lot of partner work.
SPEAKER_01And you need to when you're in the construction industry. Right? You gotta communicate.
SPEAKER_02And and also um, I think a big piece for us is problem solving. So we're gonna be doing a lot of collaborative efforts with students, partner work, small group work, um, a lot of work-based learning. Um, I think that that students will find that they're not just in a chair with a screen all day. Yeah, they're gonna be up, moving around, interacting with different teachers.
SPEAKER_01How great is it to actually see a finished product of something that you built with your hands? I mean, it's a it's a a moment of pride and it's a moment of saying, wow, look at we what we did together.
SPEAKER_02A great well, let me tell you this what's really cool too. So let's say that a a second grader is over at Morningstar Academy and the class is learning um something about plants, right? Well, my high school students would be building the planners that those plants would go into. So it's a whole corroboration of the we're gonna be doing some collaborative efforts, absolutely. Because even though we are two schools in one building, we will be doing some things like I I want our high schoolers to be mentors for an eighth grader who might be interested in coming over into our high school. They don't have to if they attend Morningstar Academy, they don't have to transition over to the high school. Yeah, but why wouldn't you want to? Yeah, you know, I mean our our.
SPEAKER_01And as a kid, and I know, I mean, we're girls, right? But I used to love watching things getting getting built. I used to love watching the trucks, I used to love watching them build a bridge. Usually, I mean it's so cool. I do still do. I I I just like, you know, used to love watching the beach renourishment, even though it was loud and continuous. It it's just amazing to watch these things come together. I agree, and we have plenty of female students registered too. Awesome. Yes. Yeah, that's very cool. Anything uh last second that you want to add about the South Carolina Construction Academy. And for those of you who don't know, Mr. Joe White Avenue is where the school is at in the old golf academy that you've refashioned.
SPEAKER_02Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am. No, I think the the last thing I would like to say is that if you're even considering or thinking about opportunities for your for your student, give me a call. Let me show you the building, let me talk to you about what we're doing. Because if you are not a complete, okay, this is what I really want for my student, let me talk to you first. Uh-huh. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Could come and see it. Come and see it. Take a tour.
SPEAKER_02Why not? Absolutely. I can give virtual.
SPEAKER_01Like people can come, they can um make an appointment for you.
SPEAKER_02Ironically, our construction building is under construction. Okay. But we are definitely accepting um tours. I can do them virtually. I can do phone calls. I can meet you at the building and show you different parts of the building. Okay. Just some parts might be closed, but please come out.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. Now, I did um share a link to the website for the South Carolina Construction Academy onto our Facebook page so you can find the phone number and address there, Principal Jay Anderson. Thank you so much. It's my pleasure. It's exciting, and hopefully you'll come back and let us know how it's going. Um, and it this is a charter school that is no charge, tuition free. That's amazing. And they leave with the skill, which is even better. Yes. Thank you, Kathy Jenkins.
SPEAKER_00You are very welcome. And do another one. And I told Jay on the way over here, I said, anytime you want to come on on this segment, just call me.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Good job, Kathy.
SPEAKER_00She needs to give us keep giving us updates. This is very exciting.
SPEAKER_01You can go to SC Constructioned U.org for more information and helpnewdirections.org. Thank you so much.