By Kristen L. French | Palmetto Scholars Academy (PSA) was founded in 2009 with a mission to serve gifted students in the Lowcountry. Many schools are not equipped to meet the different learning needs of gifted children. This often leads to laziness, boredom, frustration, a loss of self-esteem and underachievement. PSA has developed a liberal arts environment which provides academic and artistic challenges while also serving the social and emotional needs of gifted students. PSA is open to all South Carolina students from 6th to 12th grades, resulting in a diverse student population that crosses economic and demographic lines.

Tolerance of each other’s differences seems to come naturally to the PSA community. The teachers and staff foster tolerance while maintaining a disciplined environment.