ST. ALBERT THE GREAT STEM PROGRAM
Aquinas partners with Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth to provide challenging curriculum for qualified students
Starting Monday, November 1st, twenty six students at St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School began to replace their regular Math and Science courses with online courses and on-site laboratories with the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. This unique partnership between a prestigious university and a well-established private school provide these students with an opportunity to maximize their academic potential and become academic and social leaders in the school and beyond.
"As a school, we are committed to providing the best possible education to our students," explained Principal Sister Maria Goretti, O.P., "and we recognize that highly able students are sometimes not challenged to their full potential in the regular classroom setting. This advanced program, however, will provide the opportunity for these students be challenged and to excel. While this is an exceptional program, it is not outside of our mission as a school since our goal is to meet the individual needs of each of our students." Meeting this challenge is exactly what the Center for Talented Youth is designed to do. According to their material, CTY courses are "designed to enrich and accelerate academically gifted students in the areas where they show the strongest abilities."
The curriculum offered at Aquinas will begin in fifth grade with courses in mathematics, science, engineering and technology through eighth grade. Although students may move through the classes at their own pace, they have the potential to complete work several years above their grade level by the time they graduate from Aquinas.
While Aquinas is committed to providing an academically challenging curriculum for all of its students, it also takes into account the social, spiritual and physical aspects of each child's education. "Challenging students to the limits of their potential inspires confidence, maturity and leadership skills that are essential to every student. Not only will these students advance intellectually, but our hope is that they will be leaders both inside and outside the classroom in all aspects of the school's community life," says coordinator Kathleen Walsh. Ms. Walsh will oversee the progress of each child and ensure that they are taking advantage of all that the program has to offer.
This is the first time that CTY has teamed up with a school in this way. "It is rare to find some many eligible students in one place," said Dr. Patricia Wallace, head of CTY's online programs. In order to reach out to the students who can benefit from their programs, CTY began providing distance courses in 1983, and now has thousands of students from more than 90 countries taking courses online, all led by CTY faculty. CTY also offers summer residential and commuter programs for academically highly able students.
For more information about our STEM program click here.
