Category: Youth Development

When the bell rings at 3PM, the day isn’t over—especially for working families.
That’s when peace of mind matters most. The YMCA Afterschool Rising Stars program provides a safe, nurturing space where kids can learn, grow, and thrive while parents finish their workday.

This fall, we’re expanding!
The YMCA of Coastal Carolina is opening 11 new Afterschool Rising Stars sites across Horry County, serving students at 10 local schools. That means more children will have access to high-quality, affordable afterschool care that supports the whole child—mind, body, and spirit.

Your support makes it possible.
We never turn a child away due to cost. While our programs are already among the most affordable in the community, donor support ensures every family has access to financial assistance when they need it most.

With this expansion, we’ll serve 17 schools across Horry and Georgetown Counties.

Here’s where you’ll find us this school year:

📍Horry County Afterschool Rising Stars Locations

Afterschool Rising Stars onsite

• Aynor Elementary
• Burgess Elementary
• Midland Elementary
• Myrtle Beach Primary, Myrtle Beach Elementary, Myrtle Beach Early Childhood (ages 5+) at Myrtle Beach Primary
• Ocean Bay Elementary
• St. James Elementary School

Afterschool Rising Stars offsite in Horry County

• Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA (Multiple Schools)
• Coastal Carolina University (Waccamaw Elementary)
• Chesterfield Missionary Baptist (Riverside Elementary)
• Seacoast Church (Waccamaw Elementary)
• Trinity United Methodist Church (Conway Elementary)

Middle Schools in Horry County

• YMCA Seahawks Academy at Myrtle Beach Middle

📍Georgetown County Afterschool Rising Stars Locations

Afterschool Rising Stars Onsite in Georgetown County:

• Kensington Elementary School
• Maryville Elementary School
• McDonald Elementary School
• Andrews Elementary School
• Waccamaw Elementary (serving Waccamaw Elementary, Waccamaw Intermediate, and Coastal Montessori)

YMCA Afterschool Rising Stars isn’t just a place to go after the bell rings. It’s a place where kids:

• Make friends and build social skills
• Enjoy indoor and outdoor play
• Get homework help and academic reinforcement
• Discover their strengths and grow in confidence

We’re working closely with Horry County Schools to finalize sites and staffing—and enrollment will open soon!

Registration opens Wednesday, July 23

You can sign up for the wait list now. Registration online will open on Wednesday, July 23rd. We can’t wait to welcome new families this school year!

👉 Sign up for Afterschool Rising Stars

We want you on our team!!!

👉 We’re hiring! Apply now to join our afterschool team.

✨ Be the Spark. Fuel a Child’s Potential.

We need your help!

We need your help to get these new sites up and running—and ensure no child is turned away due to cost.

Your donation supports startup costs and scholarships—so every child can have a safe, enriching place to go after school.

👉 Donate! Help launch nine new afterschool sites in Horry County and provide essential childcare so parents can work and kids can thrive.

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💛 What Your Gift Supports:

• Start-up costs like supplies, snacks, enrichment materials, and staff
• Financial support packages so families pay based on what they can afford
• Scholarships to help cover the gap—$1,000 supports one child for the entire year

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🎓 Name a Scholarship. Change a Life.

With a gift of $1,000, you can Name a Scholarship in honor or memory of someone special.
Your tribute will support one child’s full-year financial assistance package and be listed on our Afterschool Wall of Gratitude.

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🧃Every gift makes a difference:

• $50 covers one month of care
• $250 supports three months
• $1,000 names a scholarship
• $5,000 makes you an Afterschool Hero

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📌 Help Us Reach Our Goal:

We’re raising $100,000 to launch these sites and provide financial assistance for the families who need it most.

Together, we can make sure every child has a safe, enriching place to go after school—and every parent has the peace of mind to work, knowing their child is in good hands.

🏢 Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

Local businesses are invited to support the launch of YMCA Afterschool across Horry County. Sponsorships include campaign-wide recognition and meaningful impact.

✨ Sponsorship Recognition

• Logo on the printed Welcome Packet distributed to all new afterschool families
• Logo featured in the new Raising Great Kids Newsletter, sent digitally to thousands of YMCA households with children
• Recognition on the YMCA Website on our Afterschool Rising Stars page
• Shoutouts on YMCA Social Media, thanking you for being a spark in the community
• A Spark Badge (digital image you can proudly display on your website or share with customers)

Sponsorship	Recognition
Afterschool Hero – $10,000	Powers new site launches + supports scholarships.
Literacy Champion – $5,000	Support homework help tools and reading games.
Enrichment Sponsor – $2,500	Fund creative programs like STEM, art, and play.
Snack Supporter – $1,500	Provide healthy snacks for kids at all sites for one semester.
Name a Scholarship – $1,000	Provide a full year of care for a child.

Interested in sponsoring? Email [email protected] to learn more or donate now through this page.

The YMCA of Coastal Carolina and the Grand Strand Miracle Leagues are teaming up to make swim lessons accessible for every child.

💙 In this video, we talk with Stephanie Warren, Executive Director of the Miracle League, about how this partnership is creating joyful, safe, and inclusive water experiences for kids of all abilities. Through adaptive swim lessons, children are learning critical water safety skills in a supportive environment—because every child deserves to feel confident in the water. This is part of our Splash Safe initiative to teach 1000+ kids to swim for free this summer.

📍Filmed at: Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA

The 37th South Carolina Youth in Government conference kicked off this week in Columbia with 1,400 high school students from across the state to participate in a model legislature, youth election process, and Mock Trial.

This year, students from Horry County participated in the program. The YMCA of Coastal Carolina hosted a delegation from the Myrtle Beach area as a pilot program with the purpose of rolling it out to local schools in Georgetown and Horry Counties for 2025.

YMCA of Coastal Carolina Association Executive Director of Youth Development Terri Lottchea notes, “As we develop teen leadership programs in our Coastal Carolina region, the Youth in Government is top of the list for schools in our area. This program teaches critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership skills and is an incredible opportunity for our students to see government in action in a fun way.”

Myrtle Beach High School students and YIG participants Margaret Martin and Kennedy Wilkes shared someone brought a gun to their school last year. This prompted them to think about gun safety, and wrote a bill requiring psychological testing prior to purchasing a firearms in South Carolina.

Myrtle Beach High School students Aiden Brown and Braxton Richardson and Christian Academy student Thomas Gravely tackled motorist safety and motorcycle helmets. All three will be getting their drivers permits in the next year. Their bill focuses on motorcycle helmets requirements to keep other drivers on the road safer and prevent serious injury in an accident.

The students spent several weeks leading up to the conference brainstorming ideas for bills, writing the bills, researching the topic, and preparing to present the bills. State Representative Case Brittain helped with the bill writing process. State Representative Carla Schussler and attorney Amanda Bailey listened to their presentation and gave feedback to help prepare the students to get their bills passed in the model legislature.

State Senator Luke Rankin visited the students while in Columbia!

YMCA of Coastal Carolina Chief Development Officer Hatton Gravely shares, “This has been an incredible experience seeing our future leaders being shaped by their peers and this program today. The debates have been respectful and the conversations thought-provoking. The variety of bills and process to share and debate concerns is making an impact on teens across the state of South Carolina. Plus, they have had fun! We are thrilled to be able to offer this program to our Coastal Carolina region, and help launch a bigger delegation (or delegations!) next year.”

Andrews Community Director Brian Gary adds, “I am looking forward to bringing this to Andrews. We have learned so much being a part of Youth in Government this year, and I am excited for the potential to grow the program in Georgetown County in 2025.”

This trip would not have been possible without the gift of our new bus, thanks to gifts from The Citizens Bank and the Parsons Foundation. We are appreciative of the donors who help support all of our programs and enable us to fulfill our mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

Claire Chapin Epps Family YMCA and Myrtle Waves will host a family picnic fundraiser to support the Hope and Possibilities Fund at the YMCA

The YMCA of Coastal Carolina and Myrtle Waves will host YMCA Member Appreciation Day at Myrtle Waves on August 24, 2024. YMCA of Coastal Carolina members and their guests are invited to purchase $35 tickets which will include all-day access to Myrtle Waves and a picnic buffet from 1 – 2:30 p.m. Members can purchase as many tickets as they would like, and will need to show their YMCA membership ID card at the gate the day of the event to purchase tickets at the Myrtle Waves. Anyone interested in attending this event is asked to fill out the form on MyrtleWaves.com to get details and updates about the fundraising event.

YMCA Member Appreciation Day at Myrtle Waves

• Date: August 24, 2024 
• Water park time: Tickets include all-day access to Myrtle Waves during their normal operating hours that day
• Picnic time: 1 – 2:30 p.m.
• Register online: Families are asked to pre-register for the event online to get more information and details at https://www.myrtlewaves.com/ymca-family-day/
• YMCA Member Tickets: Members with YMCA of Coastal Carolina membership cards are able to purchase $35 tickets at Myrtle Waves on August 24, 2024 and will include all-day waterpark access plus the picnic. Card must be presented for special pricing.

A portion of every ticket will support the YMCA of Coastal Carolina’s Hope and Possibilties Fund, which provides program and financial assistance for families in need. This fundraiser will help support the YMCA’s mission, which is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. In order to fulfill the mission, the YMCA of Coastal Carolina provides low-cost programs and financial assistance for Afterschool, swim lessons, youth sports, summer camps, memberships, and healthy living programs to ensure that all in the communities we serve can participate in programs and become a member of the YMCA.

David Byrd, CEO of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina, said, “The YMCA of Coastal Carolina’s vision for the next five years is to improve the mental and physical health of residents in the Grand Strand, make all in our community safer around water, provide opportunities for kids to learn and gain confidence, and offer quality, affordable childcare to all parents who want to work. This event provides uninterupted family time for our members. In addition, the proceeds will support our Hope and Possibiltiies Fund, which funds free and subsidized programs for the community as well as financial assistance for those families in need who are unable to afford the fees. We are able to provide programs  to the community thanks to the generous support of community partners like Lazarus Entertainment Group.” 

Mark Lazurus, CEO of Lazarus Entertainment Group, adds, ““We are committed to supporting our community and are appreciative of YMCA teaming up with us for a special fundraiser! The YMCA does so much for the Grand Strand area and we are honored to be apart of YMCA Family Day at Myrtle Waves.”

The community is invited to come to Main Street, learn about the YMCA and enjoy free live entertainment and activities.

About Divine Harmony

Divine Harmony have worked hard to complete two EP’s titled “We Made It” and “He Can Do It” with the help of recording artist Jarell Smalls. Divine Harmony Consists of Kenyetta Hannah, Tramaine H. Timmons, Muryel Sumpter, Kayland Williams and Jamar Moore.

The gospel group has travel to Florida, New York, Georgia, North Carolina and varies areas in the United States. They are encouraged by God and believe that through God, all things are possible.

Food Trucks

• Chikeez One Stop Eatery
• Rocco’s Authentic Street Food
• Tree Treats LLC-The Ice Cream Trailer
• Session Gourmet Italian Ice
• Andrews Nutrition

Outdoor Live Entertainment

• Youth Choir
• Divine Harmony
• DJ
• Demo Class

Indoor Youth Activities

• Pac mania-Arcade Game

• NFL Blitz-Arcade Game

• Pop A Shot

• Active Coloring Banner

• Skee Ball

• Free Haircuts/ school supplies give away

Outdoor Youth Activities

• Bouncing castle

• Bouncy Slide

• Basketball Goals

We hope to see you there!

Tidelands Health goes to summer camp

Kids participating in summer camps offered by the YMCA of Coastal Carolina got a special lesson from Tidelands Health.

For the first time, the not-for-profit health system joined the camp lineup, offering an interactive session teaching the importance of proper hand hygiene to limit the spread of germs.

“Summer camp is a perfect place to reach children with fun, interactive ways to help them learn and start practicing healthy habits like proper handwashing early in life,” said Alisa Kimmel, community outreach registered nurse at Tidelands Health, the exclusive health system partner of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina. 

During the camp sessions, a special lotion meant to mimic germs on hands could only be seen using a glow light, driving home the message to campers ages 6 to 8 to always wash their hands properly. After washing their hands at the sink to remove the lotion, kids held their hands under the glow light to see any spots they might have missed.

“The campers all wanted to know if they were glowing,” said Kimmel, a former school nurse who led the camp sessions. “Kids are so visual, they like to see it. It’s a fun, interactive way to drive home the message and help instill healthy habits early in life that will serve these campers well as they grow.”

As the exclusive health system partner of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina, Tidelands Health collaborates with the YMCA to improve health and wellness in the region. The health system recently supported the expansion of the Safety Around Water program to Myrtle Beach. Also known as YSplash!, the program teaches second graders life-saving lessons in water safety for free.