Educators Kathy Mellette and Laurie Ecke briefly outlined the results of brainstorming sessions for the North Hall Middle School Earhart-Edison Exploration Academy.
"We're focusing on a rigorous, integrated curriculum to inspire exploration and discovery with a big focus on creative community service," said Mellette.
The plan calls for the Earhart-Edison Academy (named for explorer Amelia Earhart and inventor Thomas Edison) to operate as a school-within-a-school on the North Hall Middle School campus. The curriculum of the proposed academy would emphasize science, technology, engineering and mathematics studies, a move that provides a natural tie-in with the newly-approved STEM Academy at North Hall High School.
"[The courses]would certainly prepare them for the STEM school at North Hall High School, but many of them may choose to do something else," said Ecke. She said Earhart-Edison would prepare students to explore other areas of education, as well.
Ecke said the next step is to identify about 50 6th grade students from NHMS who want to study through the Exploration Academy beginning in the fall of 2013. Then, by the 2014-2015 school year, the Exploration Academy, if the plan is approved on the local and state level, would become a middle school program of choice for Hall County.
Educators Laurie Ecke and Kathy Mellette (center) talked to school board members about plans for the Earhart/Edison Exploration Academy
http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/3/259756