Our Education Services

Project Hope Foundation operates its own private, accredited school program, Hope Academy, through the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA). We serve students with autism from kindergarten through high school in classrooms specifically designed to meet their unique learning needs. By integrating Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies into the school day, we help each student make meaningful progress. Our teachers are trained in ABA and supported by a Hope Academy leadership team with expertise and training in both education and behavior analysis.

Hope Academy operates year-round, from September through August, with breaks each quarter. School hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday. Classes are held at our Landrum and Woodruff campuses, with limited bus transportation to both campuses available from centralized drop-off locations.

At Hope Academy, we celebrate each student’s strengths while addressing individual challenges. Each school day includes dedicated time for developing social interaction, self-regulation, and adaptive skills. We recognize that transitioning into adulthood can be especially challenging for the autism community, so we prepare early:

• At age 13, students begin Pre-Employment Transition Services, focusing on skills for future employment success.

• At age 16, we start discussing future support needs with our Adult Services team.

Our academic model uses tiered classrooms that complement each student’s need for ABA therapy. This structure allows for a highly individualized day, with therapy and education teams working together toward shared goals. Students can move between tiers as their needs evolve.

The following table provides general information about our classroom groupings (please note that details may be adjusted for individual students):

Hope Academy is a tuition-based program that uses the FACTS software system for tuition management. Tuition rates reflect our very low student-to-teacher ratios and our unique integration of therapeutic and educational services. Families may apply for scholarship assistance through state programs like the SC Educational Credit for Exceptional Needs Children or the Education Scholarship Trust Fund, as well as through private funding sources.

In addition to Hope Academy, Project Hope Foundation also provides therapeutic support services to students in local public and private schools across the Upstate, based on each client’s needs and school partnerships.

For more details about these groupings, please watch the brief video below:

 Helpful links

Admissions Process

Admission to education classrooms has several paths:  

• If you are receiving therapy services from Project Hope Foundation, referrals are made from your Supervisor.

• If your child has an autism diagnosis but you are not yet receiving services from us, we welcome you to complete an application for services. However, space is limited and clients in our therapy program receive priority admission. If you are not yet receiving ABA therapy for your child, please refer to our therapy program.

Education Staff