Energy Institute High School is a magnet high school in East Downtown in Houston, Texas. It is a part of the Houston Independent School District and is the first high school in the United States that focusses on the energy industry.
The district announced that the school would be created in the northern hemisphere in the spring of 2013. It opened in the former Holden Elementary School in the Houston Heights. There were 650 applicants for 217 slots in the 2014-2015 9th grade class. In 2014 many area corporations offered assistance to the Energy Institute. such as the Independent Petroleum Association of America which partnered with the school to provide mentors, field trips and monthly guest speakers. The school is currently located in the former Dodson Elementary School in East Downtown. It had moved there in the summer of 2014. Dodson Elementary was formerly the second-largest elementary school serving the Third Ward. The Arabic Immersion Magnet School opened in the former Holden/Energy Institute facility in the fall of 2015.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Operations
Students are permitted to use smartphones during class time. This practice differs from most high schools. The school also permits students to listen to music during class as long as it does not impair the learning environment.The school focuses on project-based learning. This basically means that the learning style is all based on projects. Students practice their presentation skills, leadership skills and team-working skills.
Campuses
In order to emulate a corporate setting, the school district arranged for the school-style desks at Holden to be replaced with tables, and the regular walls were replaced with glass. Each classroom has a 70-inch (1,800 mm) television that is connected to the internet. The district also used this design at the former Dodson.
New Campus Construction
Construction for Energy Institute's new school building has began in late-2016 and is expected to be completed in mid-2017. This 110,000-square-foot building will be built to hold over 800 students on 12 acres of land located along Southmore Boulevard at Tierwester. VLK Architects Inc. planned and designed the $37 million school based on professional corporate and industry settings. The school is designed for collaboration and focused study with three main multi-level buildings for project-based learning areas as well as a main courtyard to enlarge learning and social space.
Corporate Partnerships
As a 21st century school, Energy Institute focuses on maintaining corporate partnerships to host field trips, provide guest speakers, and fund student activities. Partnerships include:
- BP
- BSEE
- Chevron
- ExxonMobil
- FMC Technologies
- IPAA/PESA
- Hasty-Bake
- HEB Tournament of Champions
- Lyondell Basell
- NASA
- Phillips 66
- Schlumberger
- Shell
- Texas Workforce Commission
Curriculum
In order to earn the STEM and Multidisciplinary endorsements, all students are required to complete four years of engineering coursework as part of their elective credits. Students are offered 16 Pre-AP/Honors courses and 19 AP courses. Every subject taught in the school includes topics related to energy. The school is a project-based learning school meaning that it does not rely on standard school testing but instead, it relies more heavily on the use of group work projects. Each student has a laptop for his or her use.
Student body
As of the 2016-2017 school year, 25% of the students are female. As of August 2016, there are 705 students enrolled at Energy Institute. Grade 9 currently has 198 students, Grade 10 has 209 students, Grade 11 has 157 students, and Grade 12 has 140 students. Of the student body, 61% are Hispanic, 22% are African American/Black, 13% are Caucasian, 3% are Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1% are other. The first graduating class will graduate in 2017.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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