The Academy for Science and Design Named One of the Best in the Nation

Nashua, NH - The Academy for Science and Design Charter School (ASD), a top-performing public STEM-specialty school serving students in grades 6-12, was named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School in an announcement made by U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos on September 28, 2017. ASD is one among 342 public and private schools to receive this designation. School officials will represent the Academy for Science and Design at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. in November. ASD Director Jennifer Cava shares, “It is an honor to represent not only the dedicated efforts of our school to provide students with a high-quality public education, but the efforts of all New Hampshire public schools who are committed to continuous improvement, success for all students, and increased family and community engagement.”

National Blue Ribbon Schools are on education’s cutting edge, pioneering innovative educational practices from professional learning communities and project-based learning to social and emotional learning and positive behavior systems. Schools are nominated by the state department of education and then complete a comprehensive application about school practices. Schools may be nominated as Exemplary High Performing—among the top schools in a state—or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing—schools making the fastest progress in the their state in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

The Academy for Science and Design has worked hard to meet the challenge of economic and societal change following the decline of the state's textile industry and expansion of Boston's high-tech corridor into the southern New Hampshire region. Established as a charter school and STEM specialty school in 2007, ASD is located on the outskirts of Nashua, New Hampshire's second largest and increasingly diverse city, reflecting an expanding immigrant population and its integration into the community. Through its innovative design for learning ASD offers an environment that nourishes the minds of our students and encourages them to use their valuable abilities to lead advancements in science and technology, as well as to become thoughtful, compassionate, and engaged citizens for improving our democracy.

Serving as both a public, open-enrollment middle/high school with a STEM-specialty focus, the success of the Academy for Science and Design is based on its commitment to engage a diversity of student learners at both of these levels through an exemplary structure for broadening student access to STEM-focused learning opportunities. Accordingly, ASD’s program design is focused on providing early exposure to opportunities in STEM that younger students may be unaware of, and then encouraging and supporting those students as they pursue a highly personalized pathway to a specialized STEM field in high school.

The Academy for Science and Design is actively seeking to partner with local companies and businesses for student-centered initiatives such as internships, financial donations, and/or industry professionals to get involved in the school’s program. More information can be found on ASD’s website at www.asdnh.org, or email Marketing and Communications Coordinator Amy.Bewley@asdnh.org. For more information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, please visit http://nationalblueribbonschoo...