Beacon Academy Inc

The school- over beacon academy's intensive 14 months, 8+ hour school days include intense and high level academic instruction, co-curricular programming, study halls and then 2-3 hours of homework. Beacon starts in july with 5-weeks of summer school, continues through the academic year, and a second summer of individually tailored academic and enrichment programs. Experienced teachers, small classes and an engaging, rigorous curriculum ensure that students gain at least two years of learning in one year to prepare them for success in thecompetitive secondary schools. Beacon's core curriculum includes intensive math, english, history and science classes. Beacon students also participate in community service learning, nutrition and sports education and activities designed to increase their cultural fluency.

Alumni program - the alumni program facilitates important and continuous connections between beacon alumni and our staff, volunteers, coaches and mentors. This ongoing engagement, support and guidance ensure our alumni's successs through high school, college and beyond. We know that our students, much like their peers from the same zip codes, face ongoing obstacles including a lack of rigorus academic preparation, campus isolation and the need for financial aid. Beacon addresses these issues in the following ways: five annual community alumni events, college preparation and application support, emergency funds, deep and ongoing relationships. Despite the best intentions of the fine institutions that accept and fund our students, beacon graduates encounter racism, isolation and other obstacles to their success in high school and college. The beacon academy alumni program guarantees support, guidance and a community of achievement through high school, college and beyond. Alumni program components: scheduled alumni events: we host many annual events such as high school and college seminars, a homecoming dance, a holiday party, college visits and advising, and a graduation luncheon, which jsa creates an ongoing alumni community. College support: we have actively developed our college support component of our alumni program. Components include: our own guide book designed to help students who are not familiar with the college application process, sat prep, essay writing workshops, interview preparation, advising, college visits and access to gap funding. Emergency fund: students may apply to beacon for ancillary items not covered by tuition to help them be full participants in high school and college such as eyeglasses, textbooks, field trip expenses and athletic equipment. Ongoing relationships: our small size and intense relationships endure. Students articulate that they turn to beacon friends first when struggling with issues of financial aid, domestic abuse or the college application process.