Sophomore Maya Bellamy was once an eighth grader with a plan. Her agenda for high school was simple: get good grades and score high on her AP exams and the SAT. However, she realized that she wanted to do something in high school that could prepare her for a career in computer science and that’s when she discovered AOIT. As soon as she read the overview and opportunities that the program offered she immediately knew she had to apply because it was exactly what she needed to prepare herself for her dream job. Two years after joining AOIT, she realized that applying for it in eighth grade was the best academic decision she’s ever made.
This school offers three different special programs, the Humanities and Arts program (H&A), Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) and Science Capstone Plus — formerly known as STARS. Students apply for these programs toward the middle or end of their eighth-grade year. Every program requires that students complete an internship or study abroad at some point in their high school career as well as complete specific course requirements. The application requirements and processes are different for each program but can be found on the school’s website. Bellamy said, “I really like AOIT because it has encouraged me to participate in computer science activities outside of school.”
The Humanities and Arts program, more commonly known as H&A, is a program specifically for people interested in a career in humanities and/or arts. The program offers both an arts pathway and a humanities one, and students have until the middle of their sophomore year to decide which path they want to pursue. The arts program is for students interested in any form of art such as film, culture, theater or music. This pathway requires students to take the necessary art courses as well as complete the Arts Capstone course. The humanities pathway is for students passionate about topics like literature or history and is only completed once students complete specific humanities courses and AP Seminar and AP Research. The independent experiences are not only helpful for college applications, but they also, “help with growing up and being on your own,” H&A coordinator Michelle Hanson said.
The Academy of Information Technology, also known as AOIT, is another program that students can join as rising ninth graders. This program is for students who have an interest in computer science and helps them strengthen their skills. The program has three different pathways students can choose from: programming, information resources and networking/hardware. Regardless of which path you choose, all AOIT members must complete either AP Computer Science Principles or Foundations of Computer Science by senior year. Each pathway has course requirements and is designed to help build specific skills with technology. “The courses we provide typically track [AOIT students] and give them experience with college-level material. They also are exposed to resume writing development and interviewing with an adult,” AOIT coordinator James Turner said.
The Science Capstone program uses the College Board’s AP Capstone Program to offer students a way to expand their interest in STEM. This program also has three suggested pathways/focuses: environmental science, medical science and engineering, and students are also able to design their own. Each pathway is designed to expand students’ knowledge of the focus they choose with specific course requirements. Every Science Capstone member must complete the science courses for their pathway. Additionally, members of this program must do one of the offered enrichment opportunities and rising 11th or 12th grades must complete a summer experience as well.
These programs are there to guide students along a path they know they want to continue on for the rest of their lives. Each program is designed to direct a learning teen to their direct field of study and, when applying to colleges, it shows how passionate students are about a subject. Courses like AP Seminar and AP Research are helpful for students to prepare for college classes and being part of a program, “helps students stand out on their college applications,” Hanson said.
