At 13, eighth-grader Rahul Menon doesn’t have a career plan exactly. He wants to be an engineer of some sort and really dig into technology.
What he does know is that he’ll need skills and experiences to prepare him for a job that — in all likelihood — doesn’t exist, working with technology that hasn’t even been invented yet.
That’s why he applied to attend the new Plano ISD Academy High School that will focus on project-based learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (or STEAM) in a nontraditional setting. And a key aspect of the academy will be the heavy involvement of industry professionals who will often office out of the school and bring cutting-edge technology into the classrooms.
“I think the academy is trying to prepare students for the real world with a 21st-century education,” Rahul said. “I like that it will be working closely with businesses … and will promote working in groups and teamwork. These are all very important skills.”
Plano plans to launch three new academies next year — including one on health and one featuring the International Baccalaureate program. The Plano ISD Academy High School will be the only stand-alone campus, housed at a former AT&T service center off Alma Road.
Officials tout the academy as a first-of-its-kind program that will take partnerships with local industry leaders to a new level.
Texas Instruments, for example, has already allocated $5 million toward the academy. And the company plans to have a core group of 25 volunteers who will work with students and to bring new products such as graphing hardware and software, digital curriculum and interactive projectors.
TI received millions in tax abatements from various entities, including the Plano school district, in a 2003 deal reached when the company set out to build its new chip plant. Since then the company has been extremely involved in charitable efforts in the community and helping with raising funds for education.
The company’s involvement in the academy isn’t about business deals, said Aleta Stampley, TI’s K-12 education and community relations director. It’s a reflection of the need for industry leaders to be more directly involved in shaping education, she said.
“Businesses are the biggest consumers of the school system,” she said. “The kids that come out of here will be our future workforce for the community. There needs to be accountability for corporations to be a part of that and not just sit back and watch.”
Plano school officials are building the academy from scratch, taking ideas from various other so-called PBL programs. Principal Renée Godi said the business partnerships she hopes to incorporate into the design of the new school will be vital.
She imagines a steady flow of business mentors in a wide range of fields sharing stories, presenting new ideas and even helping to critique student projects. In fact, as the space gets renovated, officials plan to incorporate an office space just for the professionals to use when on campus.
While students can learn through typical lesson plans and projects, Godi said they reach a new level of excitement when they hear from someone in the field.
“Kids see the relevance and they see that what they are learning is not just some idea but part of a problem that’s in the industry that they’re working on right now,” Godi said. “As educators, we’re experts in our content area, but industry representatives are experts in their field and really bring to life how to use the knowledge.”
Last week was the deadline to apply to the academies. As of midday Friday, the Plano ISD Academy had the most students expressing interest among the new programs with 442 applicants. The IB academy had 282 applicants and health sciences had 280. Officials will begin the new programs with ninth- and 10th-graders and expand each year.
Rahul’s father, Raj Menon, hopes his son is selected for the inaugural year.
“We went to presentations for all three academies, and it was a hard decision for my son,” Menon said. “But getting to solve and work on real-world problems, well, that’s exactly for him and what he enjoys.”
