Dr. Chauncy has prioritized personnel and technology in implementing the academy model of project-based learning at Hillwood High School. Hiring and retaining quality teachers has been crucial to the success of the flourishing Academies at Hillwood. Dr. Steve Chauncy helped launch a personal laptop program in his school that has put computers in the hands of more than six hundred Hillwood students, an initiative that has transformed the role of technology in instruction.

Hillwood has enjoyed wonderful success over the past few years under Dr. Steve Chauncy’s leadership in the Academies of Nashville program. During the last three years, the school’s graduation rate as increased by twenty percent. Students are enjoying the benefits of real-world learning opportunities, job shadowing, and internships with Hillwood’s academy partners. Some students are even pursuing professional certifications while still in school. The academic rigor at the school remains high with more than 20 Advanced Placement courses, the Academic Scholars Program, ACT preparation programs, and full inclusionary practices for exceptional education students.

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce presented the 2012 Academies of Nashville Awards with the support of sponsors Deloitte and Altria. The awards were determined through a vote of MNPS administrators and executive staff, school board members, teachers, and community partners. These nominations were based on the National Career Academy Coalition‘s National Standards of Practice.

In 2011, a teacher team from Glencliff High School‘s Academy of Medical Science & Research participated in an externship with Meharry Medical College. The teacher’s focused their attention on how healthcare affects the entire community. They decided that they wanted their interdisciplinary curriculum to reflect the importance of raising awareness and educating the public about healthy living.

The teacher team from the Academy of Medical Science & Research decided to have their students create a community-based diabetes awareness 5k race, the Stampede Against Diabetes. The race supported the valuable work of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the American Diabetes Association. Over fifty people ran in the race through the Woodbine community in south Nashville. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital, Dialysis Clinic Inc., Youth Villages, and Meharry Medical College supported the 5k race.

This race was an interdisciplinary project for students in the Academy of Medical Science & Research.  Throughout the school year, students researched the causes, prevalence, prevention, and impact of diabetes. They listened to guest speakers from various organizations that gave presentations on different aspects of diabetes and its impact on American society. Numerous classes had assignments that focused on diabetes. In English, students researched the disease and created informational pamphlets. In Life Connections and Child & Lifespan Development, students evaluated case studies of individuals with diabetes and created materials to raise awareness. In various science classes, students analyzed the environmental factors that show a significant relationship to diabetes as well as the genetics and cellular effects of diabetes. In Government, students participated in a public policy simulation on diabetes funding and research that included role plays and letters to representatives. In other words, students had the opportunity to focus their learning in many different subjects through the lens of diabetes and its relationship to public health. More importantly, they took active steps to bring their knowledge to the community and make a difference.

Brenda Gilmore was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2006 to represent district 54. She previously served eight years in the Nashville Metropolitan Council. She holds an undergraduate degree in Business from Tennessee State University and the Master of Human Resource Development from Vanderbilt University. Her career has spanned across education and public service. While accepting the Chamber’s Choice Award, Gilmore pointed to the need to connect education with students’ reality and aspirations. She also reflected on the importance of caring, high-quality teachers in helping students to find their way during the critical high school years: “Every child who has that special teacher in his or her life has opportunity.”

The Nashville Chamber of Commerce presented the 2012 Academies of Nashville Awards with the support of sponsors Deloitte and Altria. The awards were determined through a vote of MNPS administrators and executive staff, school board members, teachers, and community partners. These nominations were based on the National Career Academy Coalition‘s National Standards of Practice.

Students participate in Junior Achievement's Company Program at Deloitte

My name is Samuel and I am a Marketing and Management student and DECA member at Antioch High School. I participated in the 16-week Junior Achievement Company program this year. We were mentored by three amazing volunteers from Deloitte who guided us through the business planning and implementation process. I enjoyed the whole experience of learning entrepreneurship because I know the lessons learned along the way will help me with my future business ventures.

The best part of participating in this program was our second trip to Deloitte. We met many entrepreneurs and high ranking people in the company. For example, we talked to Larry Quinlan and Peter Mays who were very extraordinary and motivational. Another speaker we had at Deloitte was Homer Britton, a graduate of Antioch High School. We also had some guest speakers from the community that came and gave us advice on our business. At the end of the day, we presented our business to a room full of business people. It was a little scary, but it went really well and we had a lot of positive feedback.

Overall the JA Company program was fun and informational, and I plan on participating in it again next year. Hopefully, next year we can make some more money!

In June 2011, teachers from Stratford STEM Magnet High School’s Academy of Science and Engineering and Hillsboro High School’s Academy of Global Health and Science worked with the Vanderbilt Center for Science Outreach. The teacher team focused on creating coursework that addresses real-world problems and challenges that can be addressed through scientific inquiry. During the first week, the teacher team collected samples to test water quality in Richland Creek and Cooper Creek. Using these samples, the teachers studied the relationships between macroinvertebrates, water chemistry, microbiology, nanotechnology, infectious diseases, and forensic geology. In the second week, the teachers worked on forensic science, meteorology, entomology, and diabesity. The goal of this wide variety of activities was to help the instructors see how these different fields of scientific inquiry intersect in real-world application.

This teacher team participated in these activities to develop coursework and lesson modules that will support the Interdisciplinary Science and Research Program at Stratford and Hillsboro. The goal of this program is to introduce students to core scientific principles in the first two years of high school so that these students can move on to advanced, independent research in the final two years of high school. By encouraging students to move from passive learning of information to actively discovering through experimentation and laboratory work, this program is working toward the full integration of STEM education into the science curriculum at Hillsboro and Stratford.

In February 2012, the U.S. Department of Education‘s Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, Dr. Brend Dann-Messier, visited Hillwood High School. The purpose of Dr. Dann-Messier’s visit was to learn about the Academies of Nashville program and how the academy model has been implemented across MNPS and at Hillwood in particular. Students at Hillwood wrote letters to Dr. Dann-Messier to describe how their academies have changed their outlook on education and prepared them for college and career. The letter that follows was written by Zahraa A., a senior in the Academy of Health Sciences. She writes about moving to the United States, learning English, and learning about the healthcare industry.

My name is Zahraa Abdulameer. I am a senior at Hillwood High School, and I am the HOSA Club President. I moved to the United States in 2008. I knew little to no English. My first year was a challenge that I successfully overcame. I was attending a different high school in Nashville as a freshman. However, because of my interests, I researched schools that offered healthcare-related classes and found Hillwood. I moved to Hillwood as a sophomore and enrolled in the Academy of Health Sciences. I took many classes that were healthcare-related like health science education, medical therapeutics, dual enrollment medical terminology, dual enrollment anatomy, emergency medical services, and a clinical internship. It was like climbing a ladder; I took it step by step and learned a lot.

Learning the language while studying these subjects was challenging; however, with my dedication and the support of the health science teachers, I achieved what I have today. Taking the dual enrollment classes was one of the best things about the health academy. I gained a lot of knowledge in these classes and received college credits. The Academy of Health Sciences helped me as a person, not only academically, but on a deeper level. I learned how to lead and be in charge, I learned to express my opinions, and, most importantly, I learned that I can accomplish my dream of being a doctor. I want to be a cardiac surgeon. I was uncertain about my skills and abilities, but the health academy gave me the confidence and support I need.

I’m currently interning at Centennial Medical Center ICU. The experience I get there is beyond words. I observe the hospital environment closely instead of just learning about it in books. This internship has affected me greatly. This experience adds to my knowledge and allows me to experience patient care firsthand. I have been able to participate and ask questions about patient diagnosis as well. As a senior, I feel I am well prepared to enter college. I have the background knowledge that makes me more certain when I choose my major.

Finally, the HOSA Club has influenced me greatly. I learned how to be independent yet a good team player. Through the HOSA Club, I was able to attend the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA. Attending a conference at my age was something I never dreamed of experiencing, but HOSA provided the opportunity.

I truly feel the Academy of Health Sciences has shaped who I am today. It provided me with knowledge that I will carry for the rest of my life. It also made me learn about myself through experiencing different situations. It made my future more visible and clear. I feel fortunate to be an Academy of Health Sciences student at Hillwood High School

In February 2012, the U.S. Department of Education‘s Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, Dr. Brend Dann-Messier, visited Hillwood High School. The purpose of Dr. Dann-Messier’s visit was to learn about the Academies of Nashville program and how the academy model has been implemented across MNPS and at Hillwood in particular. Students at Hillwood wrote letters to Dr. Dann-Messier to describe how their academies have changed their outlook on education and prepared them for college and career. The letter that follows was written by Christiana C., a senior in the Academy of Health Sciences. She writes about how her academy has given her nurse training in a hands-on learning environment.

I am Christiana from Hillwood High School, and I aspire to become a nurse. I come from a very loving and caring family, but my family lacks the ability to provide financial needs. If it weren’t for my Health Science classes, I never would have been given the opportunity to try and achieve my Certified Nursing Assistant Certification. I am in clinical now through the Nursing Education class and will have the appropriate number of clinical hours to sit for my test at the end of the school year, which is my senior year in high school. Through these classes in nurse training I have obtained numerous skills that I will be able to utilize in the field of nursing.

If you were to compare the person I was before high school to the person I am now, I have a much better likelihood of going to college and becoming a nurse. Academy of Health Sciences gave me hope of achieving my goals and kept me focused on my future. Nursing is an extremely competitive field, and being in this academy has put me a step ahead of everyone else. I’ve taken Medical Terminology, Emergency Medical Services, Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and tons of other classes that I feel have prepared me to be a successful nurse. I’ve been given numerous opportunities to do things that I’d never have done without this academy. I have participated in job shadowing, paid and unpaid internships, and actual patient care.

I have been accepted to Lipscomb University, where I plan to pursue nursing. I feel the nursing classes will be less challenging for me with the many experiences in nurse training I have received in high school. No matter where life leads me, I’ll never forget the things the Academy of Health Sciences and especially Ms. Myrick have done for me. Plenty of doors have been opened, and I even have the chance to further improve my nursing skills and become a Certified Nursing Assistant along with attending college. I have built relationships at the facilities where I have had the opportunity to intern and, if I am successful at passing my test to earn my CNA certificate, I could possibly get a job at one of those facilities. I go off campus for my Nursing Education and Clinical Internship classes. I intern at the Blakeford Nursing Home for nursing class and Centennial Medical Center for the internship class. I enjoy forming a relationship with possible future employers. This is all thanks to the Academy of Health Sciences.

Not everyone has the opportunities I’ve had; however, they should. I’m a much better person, and I feel I’ll be a much better nurse, thanks to the Academy of Health Sciences and the nurse training available to me. I know you learn something new every day, as a nurse. I also know that not every day is the same. I really enjoy the fact that we get to go to the Blakeford and perform hands-on patient care. If it wasn’t for the Academy of Health Sciences, and the facilities that work with us, I’d be an average student. I have much more confidence as a student and as a prospective nurse.

If I could give a grade for my job shadowing experience, it would have to be an A+. I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot of new things. The main thing HealthTeacher does is to prevent children and teenagers from becoming obese. The company sends a representative to the surrounding hospitals to sell the program to the hospital, and then the hospital sponsors the program to all of the surrounding schools in the district. These schools get a class that allows students to learn how to become healthy and explore all the different qualities in the program.

I would like to thank the people of HealthTeacher for allowing me to see what they do in an everyday routine. Instead of just sitting in a room learning about everything, I had a hands-on experience. In periods of about 20 minutes to 45 minutes, I spoke with a group of people or just one person to learn about what they do. In each group you could ask questions or answer questions that they asked. For instance, at HealthTeacher the Technical Team who helps build up the website have a 15-minute meeting every morning  to discuss what they did yesterday and what the goal is for the day.

Even though I got lost in half of the things they were talking about, I still learned how the website is built up. Along with that I talked to the president of the whole company. I also learned about the business side of the company and how they manage the number of people that log on and use the lessons. The one thing I really learned was how health can tie into everything. For instance, in the Art Department they create poster boards that display healthy choices and positive messages. This allows children and teenagers to see what healthy eating and being healthy looks like.

Technology plays a major role at HealthTeacher and how it functions. In every office and conference room there is something high-tech. From the laptops to the TV’s and even the mouse pads, everything is very high-tech. One of the most used products at HealthTeacher is the Mac. I could really see myself working there in the future. It is an amazing program and it should be used not only in Metro Schools but in schools all over the country.

*A=Antioch, CR=Cane Ridge, GL=Glencliff, HL=Hunters Lane, HS=Hillsboro, HW=Hillwood, M=Maplewood, MG=McGavock, O=Overton, PC=Pearl-Cohn, S=Stratford, WC=Whites Creek

The winning team from Cane Ridge was mentored by Ritzon Fernandez of Caterpillar Financial Service. Fernandez also taught the students the program in the classroom and coached them through the day of the competition.  Fernandez praised the students’ success in navigating such complex business tasks: “You don’t realize how much the students have learned in such a short time until you watch them go in with a business strategy, make these complex decisions, and then continuously adjust their strategy according to their competition.”

Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization that teaches students in kindergarten through high school how to manage their money, succeed in the workplace, and thrive as adults in the twenty-first century. JA makes learning fun by using volunteers from local businesses and from the community to lead hands-on programs and experience-based activities for students during the school day. Andy Schenck, the Director of Programs, says, “Junior Achievement is excited to partner with the Academies of Nashville to help provide real-world learning opportunities to students.”

Junior Achievement Titan is an online, interactive business simulation that challenges young people to learn what it takes to run a successful business in a competitive market. Students learn to analyze the relationship between price and production, make decisions about pricing their products, and create a research and development plan to support a business. They also become familiar with how business decisions affect the short- and long-term success of a company and how different investment strategies can lead to different outcomes. This program coincides with the Academies of Nashville’s goal of providing students with real-world, hands-on learning in which they are expected to apply their academic knowledge in practical situations. Most importantly, in the Junior Achievement Titan Business Challenge, students must analyze situations, apply information under time constraints, interpret data, think critically, make decisions, and work as a team in order to succeed.

For more information about the Junior Achievement Titan Business Challenge presented by Caterpillar Financial, be sure to take a look at the official brochure for the event.