Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology
The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology (AAST) or The Academy is a branch school of the Horry County Schools system in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. It has a focus on specialized majors and has qualifying status as a Blue Ribbon School and as a New American High School.
Description
The Academy for Arts, Science, and Technology (AAST) is a nationally certified STEM program school located in Myrtle Beach, SC. Approximately 700 Students from the nine feeder high schools in Horry County, SC community attend AAST. All students enter through an application process. AAST is a 9 - 12 STEM school organized around specific career majors. AAST's mission is to ensure that students are successfully prepared to enter their career of choice or next level of education in pursuit of life goals through personalized, integrated, technologically-supported, standards - based programs of study in the STEM/ STEAM career areas. The career majors program consists of seven majors which include, Advanced Art, Theater, Digital Communications, Entertainment Technology, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Engineering, Computer Science, and a general STEM Studies strand. Four of the career majors are encompassed under the STEM program of study; however, AAST's program design recognizes that students' interests in STEM areas are greatly enhanced when they are offered the opportunity to explore arts and humanities electives to support their interest in pursuing careers in STEM/STEAM areas.
AAST's student ACT and SAT average scores are consistently above the state and national average. AAST been recognized as a New American High School, a National Blue Ribbon School, and American School Boards Association's Magna Award finalist, and a SREB High Schools That Work Platinum Pacesetter School in 2014. In April of 2016, AAST was accredited by AdvancED as a whole school STEM learning environment through a rigorous, research-based, evaluation process. AAST is one of 50 nationally certified STEM schools under AdvancED. AdvancED STEM Certification is the first internationally recognized mark of quality for STEM schools and programs, signaling the growing emphasis placed on STEM education by educators, politicians and business leaders around the world. In earning this certification, AAST has demonstrated its commitment to preparing its students for their educational and career opportunities of the future by ensuring its students will have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their postsecondary pursuits and as workforce contributors in the 21st-century economy.
AAST has a longstanding reputation in Horry County as being a school of innovation and excellence. Students at AAST have led Horry County Schools in accomplishments related to robotics, health science and the visual as well as performing arts. The faculty and staff at AAST work extremely hard to make the educational experience worth the student sacrifice of leaving their base school environment to pursue a major or the rigorous study of the STEM disciplines. The school has adopted the koifish as its unofficial mascot. Like the koifish, which will grow as large as its environment will allow, the students at AAST are encouraged to take advantage of the many great learning opportunities the school has to offer as a means of fostering their individual growth.[1]
History
The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology (AAST) is a program academy located in Horry County South Carolina and is part of the Horry County School system. Since its inception, students have applied to attend AAST during their junior and senior years of high school, based on their interest in one of the career-focused major programs the academy has to offer. In addition to career focused major courses, AAST offers students a variety of rigorous academic options designed to prepare them for their post-secondary goals and to complement their major course of study. In 2011, AAST expanded its focus with the addition of its STEM Program. This district program was put in place to serve 9th – 12th grade students who display extreme interest and high aptitude in the areas of science, math, engineering and technology. Like the previous major program participants, STEM students are selected through an application process.
References
- ↑ "STEM Certification AdvancED". Retrieved 2016-05-12.