Good things come in pairs, says the Chinese proverb. That’s certainly the case at the newly opened Lowcountry Acceleration Academy in Charleston.

Olivia O’Neil has high-flying dreams for herself. But she knew she couldn’t realize them without a high school diploma.

Each month, we take a moment to learn from the educational leaders who are bringing the Acceleration Academies mission to life, day in and day out. This month, we asked our Academy Directors to respond to this prompt: As the traditional school year begins, what is the most important thing...

“I am honored and excited to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates,” said Bethel Acceleration Academies Director Alison Hansen. “Your journeys have not always been easy, but you never quit or gave up. Now you can proudly say ‘I did it!’”

But for the caring educators at Sarasota Acceleration Academies, Tyree Ford says he’s not sure where he’d be — on the streets, running with the wrong crowd, maybe back in trouble with the law.

Each month, we take a moment to learn from the educational leaders who are bringing the Acceleration Academies mission to life, day in and day out. This month, we asked our Academy Directors to respond to this prompt: Many students come to us in search of a second chance, not only to finish high...

After more than a year of drive-through graduations required by the Covid pandemic, the educators, graduates and family members of Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies were able to gather in an auditorium and celebrate in person.

When Nadi Sambrana talks to young people about the importance of working toward their high school diplomas, she doesn’t deliver a lecture and ask them to accept it. She urges them to do their own research.

But for St. Lucie Acceleration Academies, Juvan Lester says, the grave mistake he made as a young teenager — a mistake that gave him a criminal record — might have defined and darkened his future path. Instead, he’s heading for college.