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Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Governor's STEM Academy to be Established at Chantilly Academy

The Virginia Board of Education has approved a proposal from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to establish a Governor’s STEM Academy at Chantilly High School. The STEM Academy will offer rigorous academic and career and technical education programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Full implementation of new courses will take place in the 2013-14 school year.

Chantilly Academy will change its name to the New Commonwealth Governor’s STEM Academy. The academy will continue its mission of preparing FCPS students in Career and Technical Education with an added focus on STEM education.  Academy administrators and instructors will maintain the tradition of partnering with industry, government, postsecondary, and higher education, and the academy will continue to serve as an incubator of new secondary STEM and CTE programs and curriculum within FCPS. Plans include collaboration with Northern Virginia Community College, Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, and regional business leaders, associations, and federal partners to advance secondary STEM and CTE education in FCPS and the state. 

Through this collaboration, student experiences in design, innovation, acquisition of technical skills, and access to contemporary technologies will be enhanced and enriched as new program initiatives are introduced. Among the new offerings to be introduced in the 2012-13 school year are Engineering Technology for Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology–CyberSecurity, Virginia Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS), and National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC).

Governor's STEM Academies are designed to expand options for students to acquire literacy in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while earning industry credentials required for high-demand, high-wage, and high-skill careers. Each academy represents a partnership among school divisions, postsecondary institutions, and business and industry.