Collegedale Academy offers several opportunities for high-achieving students, including the Scholar’s program, a two year program that spans junior and senior year with certain requirements and benefits. Scholar’s program is meant to challenge and inspire students as they go above and beyond by taking the hardest classes CA has to offer and completing additional projects on the side. Mrs. Renslow is the sponsor for this program, and with the help of the new STEAM innovator, Mrs. Johnson, the Scholar’s program is undergoing changes.

In recent years, the Scholar’s program has experienced a decline in membership as several students have decided to drop out of the program. For many, this was due to difficulty balancing a packed schedule on top of the heavy junior and senior year workload. To garner more attraction to this program, changes have been implemented. The Scholar’s committee is still in the developmental stages of this shift, using input from current members. The goal of these changes is to create a “launch pad for developing personal passions and career opportunities,” according to Mrs. Renslow. In other words, this would allow more personalization so that each participant can use the program to help start the road toward their goals. The committee is still plotting, however according to Mrs. Johnson, the program will involve more opportunities in the community to gain experience. “We will also be helping students connect with experts in the fields as mentors to better prepare them for the real world,” Johnson comments.

In the past, junior year consisted of two semester long projects: a research paper and a free-choice creative project. During senior year, scholars were expected to take a high level science class [Physics or Anatomy and Physiology], a high level math class [AP Calculus, Precalculus, or College Level Statistics], and an additional class called Great Books. While the program will still include research requirements and high-level classes, the next phase of this program will utilize students’ passions and talents, as opposed to solely focusing on academic achievement.

For completing these requirements participants earn recognition at graduation (such as a specialized diploma), experience for college applications, and most enticing–a 5.0 grade scale that can boost students grade point averages.

Overall, the Scholar’s program is a great way to challenge students academically and provide benefits to those who desire them. Although the committee backing this program is still in the planning stages, the hope of these changes is to attract more CA scholars for greatness. If you are interested in joining the Scholar’s program, talk to Mrs. Renslow for more information.