WOOLWICH TWP. — On Jan. 27, during the Kingsway Regional School District’s annual Curriculum & Program Night, officials announced the Business Leadership Academy, their newest Academy, set to begin in September with the incoming ninth-grade class.
This is Kingsway’s first academy since the S.T.E.M. Academy was announced in 2012.
The Business Leadership Academy is a four-year program designed for academically motivated incoming 9th graders. The overarching goal of the Academy is to provide students with a comprehensive curriculum relevant to the underpinnings of the business world using a collaborative student-centered approach to learning.
“Our first cohort of (S.T.E.M.) Academy students are presently seniors, and many of them have credited the Academy experience with their academic success. Through the Academy many of them have found what career pathway to pursue post-high school and are planning to begin journeys toward careers as physicians, surgeons, engineers, and biochemists,” exclaimed School Superintendent Dr. James J. Lavender,
“Bucknell, Cornell, Penn, Drexel, and Johns Hopkins are a small sample of the prestigious and reputable colleges our Academy students are hoping to attend and it is rewarding to know their passionate pursuit of a rewarding career has been ignited as an Academy student,” added Lavender.
The Business Leadership Academy will be no different, exposing some of the top students to new and rewarding career pathways, he stated. It aims to effectively arm its students with 21st Century skills that prepare future leaders to tackle the complex problems and projects they will encounter in college and as professionals in the workforce.
These skills, such as critical and analytical thinking, financial literacy, flexibility, and collaboration, are not only critical to a student’s success in high school but also college and career.
Business Leadership Academy students will be afforded the opportunity to gain the business and financial skills necessary for success in any professional career. Through their active participation in this program, students will be prepared to confidently enter college business programs through early and targeted exposure that includes challenging coursework and co-curricular opportunities.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to launch the Business Leadership Academy and am confident that this new Academy – both its academic coursework and distinctive programming components – will prepare our students for success in college while providing them with a myriad of rich learning experiences throughout high school,” said Robert Rosenheim, Instructional Supervisor.
In addition to engaging in the Academy’s innovative curriculum, students will learn essential skills through teamwork, research, co-curricular activities, summer experiences on and off Kingsway’s campus, and service learning opportunities. “Ultimately, the Academy’s unparalleled learning experiences will provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to become future leaders in business and make a positive impact on the world,” continued Rosenheim.
A student’s success centers on his or her ability to not only gain advanced knowledge but also understand how to further obtain and use that knowledge to capably and confidently solve problems in the global marketplace. Successful completion of the Business Leadership Academy program will be a major academic achievement for which students, parents, and faculty should be proud.
In addition to launching the new Academy, school officials are currently working to develop partnerships with several major colleges and universities in the Delaware Valley.
Once finalized, these partnerships have the potential to provide Academy students with groundbreaking opportunities, including dual-enrollment programs, participation in summer enrichment programs, the ability to take courses on the college campus during the student’s senior year, early acceptance into collegiate honors programs, and, most significantly, the possibility for Academy students, who meet rigorous, pre-defined qualifying criteria, to receive automatic admission to the college.
“It is exciting to develop these collegiate partnerships and to secure unique opportunities that provide Kingsway’s Academy students with access to some of the region’s major universities,” said Patricia Calandro, Chief Academic Officer.
Through these experiences, Academy students will engage in learning that is not only vital to postsecondary academic standards but also college expectations and environments. Students will have an opportunity to learn in the college classroom, interact with college professors, and experience the college campus prior to high school graduation.
These invaluable opportunities create a comprehensive high school experience that prepares students for the transition into higher education and provides additional confidence needed for success in college. “These partnerships are also important to the colleges and universities where many of our students will someday attend and bring with them the academic fortitude and leadership skills that this Academy program cultivates,” added Calandro.
All interested students must apply for acceptance into the Phase I of the Business Leadership Academy by submitting a completed application packet by the Feb. 19 deadline.
Students who are accepted into Phase II are required to complete two Summer Seminars as part of the Academy. One seminar will take place during the student’s transition from sophomore to junior year, and the other will take place during the student’s transition from junior to senior year.
The Summer Seminars aim to prepare students for coursework that they will encounter during their preceding year.
