The Strong-Huttig School District is inviting the community to an open house event for its STAR Academy, a program introduced for the district's seventh and eighth graders this school year.
"Basically, (STAR Academy) is a hands-on approach to learning," Superintendent Kimberly Thomas explained. "We're offering hands-on learning courses for all of our students in grades seven and eight. They have project-based learning for math, science, social studies, English and all new equipment -- new technology, the teachers got professional development and ongoing training."
STAR Academy was introduced after the district received a $1 million grant which funded all the new equipment and teacher training, Thomas said. The grant will fund the program for this school year and next.
The program has an emphasis on career- and college-readiness, with soft skills and problem solving incorporated through the core class content.
Thomas said teachers have enjoyed STAR Academy.
"The teachers have been very pleased with the amount of resources that are provided and the amount of support that's provided in regards to – it's a new curriculum, new content, but everything they need... whatever is needed in order for the students to have the hands-on experience and to really be engaged, it's all provided," she said.
The district hasn't completed its midyear academic assessment yet, but Thomas said positive outcomes in Strong-Huttig's seventh and eighth grade students are already evident.
"We've seen less discipline referrals from this group of students, and they seem to be more engaged in their day-to-day interactions," she said.
She said she's hopeful that once the data is compiled, students will also show to be improving academically.
"I hope that it really helps our students gain a love for learning and that they excel academically, because some have struggled in previous years with various content, and the way that this program is designed, it's supposed to fill in gaps. We want to help them recover any learning that was lost during the COVID pandemic and put them on the right pathways for a successful," she said. "We're really hopeful we'll see academic improvements."
The STAR Academy ribbon cutting and open house is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 10 a.m. at Strong High School, 635 Concord St. in Strong. Thomas said the event is open to the public.