Students entering ninth grade next fall in Syracuse and some nearby counties can now apply to be one of 250 students at the first regional high school in the state. The STEAM School has 9 pathways including entertainment, engineering, entrepreneurship, animation and game design. Executive Director Jody Manning said the curriculum was designed by industry professionals.
“So, this is a New York State public high school. You will receive your Regents advanced diploma. You can earn a career in technical education seal and a minor, if you’d like. There's 30 college credits through Onondaga Community College for every concentration.”
The plan is to increase enrollment by 250 students every year until they reach a maximum enrollment of one-thousand students. Early in the fall semester, Principal Dan Straub said students can find themselves with internships at local businesses. Some will lead to completion of certificate programs showing off skills attractive to area employers.
“Internships, job shadowing right off the bat. And a lot of parents need to know that. It’s going to be a learning where the content teacher might be going out in the field with a CTE teacher that day on a rotational basis. So, a lot of project-based learning going on.”
Students living in Syracuse will have the most opportunities to apply to the new school followed by Onondaga, Cortland, and Madison County students. Applications for the STEAM School continue through January 31st and the sign-up page can be found here. Students are selected through a lottery and called in for an interview.
