The Palmetto Center for the Arts is the High School Visual and Performing Arts Magnet for Richland School District Two. It is a nationally recognized program and the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Creative Ticket award for outstanding achievement in arts education. The program includes dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. The curriculum, based on the 2017 College-and Career-Ready Standards for Visual and Performing Arts Proficiency provides unique and challenging opportunities to help students develop conceptual and technical skills of artistic expression. This comprehensive and innovative curriculum is designed to offer students a strong foundation in the skills and knowledge of an arts discipline, together with the academic skills necessary to enter top-level colleges, universities or conservatories. In addition, all PCA students benefit from enrollment in International Baccalaureate (IB) Programe through the upper level arts courses. PCA students may pursue the IB Diploma in their art area. Admission to PCA is by audition and is open to rising freshmen who have at least a “C”average. The audition process is based on state guidelines for each arts area and is adjudicated by a panel of professionals. In some instances, rising sophomore and junior students may also audition for the program. Students accepted into the Palmetto Center for the Arts must earn 6 credits in their major art area, in addition to their core academic requirements; however, PCA students who also pursue the IB Diploma Programme are required to earn only 5 credits in their art area. All PCA Magnet students must also complete an “extended-hours” requirement that includes after-school rehearsals, performances and other arts-related activities. Senior students must complete a Senior Project based on the specific requirements of their art major. Students successfully completing the four-year PCA program will receive a Fine Arts certificate, along with their diploma.