April 2020 Accelerate Magazine

WAUKESHA COUNTY BUSINESS ALLIANCE, INC. | WAUKESHA.ORG The Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy and The Waukesha Academy of Health Professions, located within Waukesha South High School, offer students a unique opportunity to explore engineering and health careers while still in high school. Students are provided opportunities to work through specialized coursework, application-based learning, and work alongside community partners and industry professionals all while in a comprehensive high school. Students have access to 22 AP course offerings, AVID college prep, dual enrollment courses, sports and activities, as well as a plethora of electives including art, music, family and consumer science, and business. These charter schools are part of the School District of Waukesha. They have their own governance boards that are made up of area industry leaders who are very invested in the work being done in the schools. Professional mentors work side by side in the classroom setting when students are creating their capstone end-of-the-year projects. These projects require hands-on problem solving. “This is what sets these academies apart,” said Maria D’Amato-Kuche, administrator for both academies. “Most students have the opportunity for hands-on learning, both here and out in the field. They leave here with so many more connections to career fields than the average student.” Students are able to collaborate with community partners through application-based learning within their engineering course work. In addition, one quarter of their high school career is spent taking seven rigorous Project Lead the Way engineering courses that compliment and expand upon their core academic course load at Waukesha South High School. Community involvement is critical to the success of the academies. Students have the opportunity to be exposed to various careers, hands-on projects and apprenticeships through a program called MADE, an acronym for Manufacturing, Automotive, Design and Engineering. Through a partnership with the Waukesha County Business Alliance, The School District of Waukesha and area manufacturers, MADE strives to get students involved in careers in the trades, through project-based learning. A newly-formed subcommittee of MADE called FEMADE encourages girls to get involved in the engineering fields. The collaborative work is paying off. With a composite score of 25.8, Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy ranks second in the state in the most recent ACT exam results. • & WAUKESHA ENGINEERING PREPARATORY ACADEMY WAUKESHA ACADEMY OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS 14