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Hyde Park Career Academy (formerly named High Park High School) is located at 6220 S. Stony Island Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA.^[1]

[edit] Facts and figures

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BACKGROUND: Founded in 1863, Hyde Park Career Academy High School is one of the high schools in Chicago. Hyde Park High School underwent several reincarnations before finally relocating into its current building in 1914. In 1938, 1965, & 1972, the building underwent significant reconstruction, as evidenced in the infrastructure of the building today. In 1976, Hyde Park became a magnet school and a Career Academy. Since 1996, the school has been known as Hyde Park Academy with its focus on college readiness and career preparation. In 2001, Hyde Park became an authorized International Baccalaureate World School, offering the world's most rigorous college preparatory curriculum through its Middle Years (as of 2004) and Diploma programs. The IB class of 2005 boasted our first 2 full diplomas, as well as 84 individual subject certificate awards. Subsequent IB graduating classes have garnered more than 300 individual subject certificate awards. In addition to IB, Hyde Park houses several learning communities: CTE (Career & Technical Education), AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and SEL (Social & Emotional Learning) have been added to further support needs of our diverse student body. In 2006, Hyde Park Academy proudly presented three Gates Millennium Scholarships worth $100,000 each. This past year^[when?], 4 of our Network Telecommunications students earned Industry Certification. Our orchestra, band and chorus students consistently rate “superior” in annual city and state competitions, and one of our drama students earned a silver medal in all-city competition at the American Theater Company.^{[citation needed]}

The Academy offers CPS's only Bass Fishing Club.

Hyde Park Career Academy recycles computer equipment through its Hyde Park Tech Corps.

Apprentices in the Youth Technology Corps^[2] Advanced Apprenticeship take donated computers and repair, rebuild and refurbish them. Apprentices rebuild a number of computers and donate them into the community or take them to Mexico where they are installed in schools or community-based organizations. Hyde Park Tech Corps is a Microsoft Autorized Refurbisher thru the MAR Americas Program.^[3]

Hyde Park Academy Design and Build students and staff have embarked on a plan to expand our reach internationally with the recycling program, not only to complete service projects but to fully integrate the Architectural Drafting and Carpentry programs at Hyde Park Career Academy utilizing partnerships with After School Matters^[4] and Youth Technology Corps.

Projects include the redesigning and reconstruction of a secondary school in Cameroon ^[5], infrastructure upgrades for school in Tanzania ^[6] , and the continued cooperation with secondary schools in Santiago Papasquiaro ^[7] , Mexico to improve educational building design and infrastructure. Our newest partner in the fight to Bridge the Digital Divide is Technology for Humanity.

[edit] Building

The Academy is housed in a traditional masonry building. Facilities include 348,478 square feet of space housing: 87 classrooms, 11 science labs, Architectural Design CAD Lab, Carpentry Lab, CISCO networking lab, 7 technology labs, technical labs, teleconference lab, commercial food service lab, music keyboard lab, two radio/TV studios, computer recycling center, 2 gymnasiums, media resource center, fitness room, health/dance room, full service cafeteria; and access to: a baseball diamond, track, football/soccer fields, golf course/driving range, and tennis courts. Most classrooms are wired for network/internet access.In recent years, the structure has received some cosmetic renovations including a new roof, new windows, and new lockers for the students.^[8]

[edit] Academic achievements

• Host of the media and communications interface of the 2nd Annual International Computer Competition. An international collection of high school students, composed of Youth Technology Corps and After School Matters students from Morton East, Phillips Achievement Academy High School (Chicago), Hyde Park Academy High School (Chicago), Farragut Career Academy High School (Chicago) and George Washington High School (Chicago) will join forces with students from the Colegio de Bachilleres high schools in Durango, Mexico in demonstrating team spirit, cooperation and technical expertise as they compete for prizes and top honors by showcasing their prowess in computer assembly and operating system troubleshooting. The student teams will be challenged to assemble a pile of computer parts into working order, as well as to troubleshoot and solve operating issues on other machines. Teams will have one hour to complete their objectives before presenting their completed product to the judges for review. The winners will be determined based on their speed, accuracy and collaboration with their teammates.^[9]

• The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program offers 9th & 10th graders a challenging curriculum emphasizing mathematics, science, history, English, world languages, computer technology, art, music, and physical education, culminating in the production of a personal project.
• The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program is a highly rigorous program (recognized by colleges as a high predictor of college success) that prepares 11th & 12th graders to successfully complete assessments leading to the internationally recognized IB diploma, a mark of outstanding academic achievement.
• The Integrated Technology Curriculum makes effective use of internet access to provide a variety of informative management strategies in the core subjects of English, mathematics, social studies and science,
• The Career & Technical Education program encourages students to explore a wide range of career possibilities while participating in a curriculum focused on college preparation coupled with internships, entrepreneurship & mentoring. The nine ETC clusters at Hyde Park are Network Telecommunications, Computer Science, Information Processing, TASTE School of Culinary Arts, Architectural Drafting, Carpentry, Medical Lab and Radio/TV Production.
• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nationally recognized program that provides the support needed by average students to become students who excel and successfully achieve entry into college.
• SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) focuses on educating the "whole child', particularly in the affective realm of emotions and relationships.
• Freshman Academy, with a specially selected staff, is dedicated to the successful transition & retention of incoming freshmen & continuing sophomores. * Project Excel, a cooperative effort between CPS & the Chicago City Colleges, enables students to earn simultaneous college & high school credit.
• Advanced Placement classes are offered in English language, English literature, U.S. History, Government & Politics, and Biology.
• Academic subjects with test-prep components & tutorials.
• Ninety percent of our graduates enroll in post-secondary education programs. Ninety-eight percent of IB graduates & 75% of graduating Advanced Placement and AVID students attend a 4-year college or university. Another 15% attend community colleges.
• An aggressive college counseling program yields scholarships and financial aid awards approaching $2 million dollars.

[edit] Famous alumni

• Frances Dee (1927) – actress
• Amelia Earhart (1915) — aviator
• Walter Eckersall(1883) – College Football HOF player
• Herbie Hancock (1958) — Jazz pianist, fusion keyboardist
• Ina Ray Hutton (1916) – All-girl band leader
• William Irvin (1921) — Chicago Journalist
• Steve Allen — comedian, songwriter
• Mel Torme (1944) — singer
• L. Scott Caldwell (1967) — actress
• Minnie Riperton (1964) — Singer, mother of Maya Rudolph
• Donny Hathaway – singer, songwriter, musician
• Carl C. Bell, M.D. (1965) — Community Psychiatrist, International Researcher, Academician, Author, President/C.E.O.
• Melinda Dillon — actress
• Carole Simpson (1958) — newscaster, ABC
• Paul Butterfield (1959?) -blues
• Joe Mays (American football) (2003) – NFL Linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
• Gwendolyn Brooks (1934) — poet and writer
• Mel Jackson (1988)- actor and spoken word artist known for "Soul Food" and "Living Single"
• Paul A Samuelson - Economist and Nobel Laureate

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Hyde Park Career Academy School Website