Throughout their academy experience, students are exposed to work based learning activities at each grade level. These start immediately Freshmen year with a career fair and culminate in Senior year with a presentation at Capstone Night. Each component of these activities is intentional, relevant, and connected to one of our 60+ business and community partnerships.
How Do We Prepare Students To Choose An Academy Pathway?
What are you going to be when you grow up? Unfortunately less and less young people have an answer to this question. In our academy model, Freshmen students participate in a 5 week process that assists them in choosing an academy pathway. This process uses a program called YouScience. YouScience was created to help answer some of life’s biggest questions: “Why am I learning this?” and “What do I want to be when I grow up?” After completing the YouScience aptitude and career discovery tool, students are equipped with an understanding of their personal aptitudes, careers that match these aptitudes, and what this means for their future. Students are also exposed to learning modules, speakers, research, and discussions throughout these 5 weeks that further enhance their understanding of what choice would best fit for them. At the end of the 5 weeks the information from YouScience is matched with the student's individual ranking of choice for each pathway. We have found that our process is highly accurate and consistent. In fact, we find that it is very rare that students have a need to change pathways as they move throughout the academy model!
To learn more about YouScience, click on the link below.
An integral piece of the DLHS academies is the senior capstone project. This project is a culmination of everything that the students have learned throughout their three years of being in the Academies. Capstone projects are typically things that the students have worked on during their internship/Vantage program or in other academy courses. In 21st century skills class students learn about and work on their capstone project. The capstone project is made up of the following components:
Smart Goal and Action Plan.
Electronic Portfolio of the Student's Experiences, Research, or Long Term Project.
Presentation to An Outside Audience At Capstone Night In The Spring.
