Excitement builds in Horry County as students from Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA) anticipate their first-ever prom. The newly founded academy is wasting no time in providing this quintessential teenage experience for their students – and they’re not without help. A group of Coastal Carolina University (CCU) juniors and seniors, all part of an upper-level event planning class (PRSC 319), are partnering with the high school students to plan the dance. Everything from vendors, venue, and ticket sales will be organized by CCU students. Some will even be onsite the day of the prom to ensure a successful event.

The dance will be held at The Marina Inn at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach on Friday, April 19. Students from both schools have collaborated to determine a throwback theme for the marquee event – Old Hollywood Glamour. More than 200 students are expected to attend.

CCU senior Eleanor Wolski has played a leadership role in planning this event.

“My courses at Coastal have all been great, but this class is a little different,” said Wolski. “Professor [Claire] Calhoun is always looking for opportunities for us to gain real-world experience. She creates partnerships in our community and helps students find new opportunities to learn. Event planning is not easily taught from a book, planning the prom is outstanding experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”

This partnership is mutually beneficial for both institutions; CCU students will gain hands-on experience as they prepare to enter the workforce, while their counterparts at ACA will reap the fruits of their labor in form of the prom.

Calhoun, who is supervising the CCU students, recognizes another positive aspect of the collaboration external from academia.

“This opportunity is a great way for my students to apply the learning objectives that have been taught throughout their course work, but this group of seniors have an emotional connection to this project,” said Calhoun. “For my seniors, this is a chance to contribute to a high school experience that the pandemic stole from them in 2020. They’re invested in making this event memorable for the ACA students and are inspired to give back. These students are invested in providing ACA with an experience that they unfortunately missed out on.”

PRSC 319 is an event planning course offered CCU’s Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts Department of Communication, Media, and Culture. This course is taught each semester as part of the Public Relations and Strategic Communications curriculum. This semester, 23 juniors and seniors are participating in the course taught by Calhoun.

Atlantic Collegiate Academy is a local high school in Myrtle Beach, S.C., which offers prestigious academic courses, competitive athletic programs, and the opportunity for students to earn up to two years of college credits prior to graduation.

For more information about prom, contact Calhoun at jcalou3@coastal.edu or 336-880-7066 or Wolski at emwolski@coastal.edu.

Written by CCU senior Eleanor Wolski.