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The Nova Project, also simply known as Nova, is a small public
Nova was founded by a group of students, parents and teachers in 1970. The curriculum is multidisciplinary and project-oriented, with an emphasis on individualized learning contracts, internships and community service. Nova functions through student-run, teacher-supported committees that decide school budgeting, the hiring and review process of staff, discussion forums, orientation of new students, and cultural affairs.
The credit system is competency-based which means students receive either full, partial or no credit. Each student picks a teacher to be their coordinator, with whom they design a personal learning plan. As of the 2022-2023 school year, Nova's 4 year graduation rate was 70%. Nova classes include every grade (9-12). Class size varies but they tend to be quite small ranging from ten to twenty students. However, some classes can be smaller for example classes for students with special needs or lab based science classes. Nova students have the option of creating "independent contracts" with their teachers to earn credit for extracurricular projects and activities. It is common for Nova students to co-teach classes with their teachers, generating curriculum and building facilitation skills in line with Nova's student-led philosophy. Like other Seattle Public Schools students, Nova students may participate in the
NovaKnows (Nova's student-created website
Seattle Public Schools - Nova High School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nova Project, The Alternative schools in the United States Central District, Seattle Public high schools in Washington (state) Seattle Public Schools 1970 establishments in Washington (state) Educational institutions established in 1970
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
, in the Seattle Public School District. Its aim is to be a "democratically governed learning community of broadly educated, creative, and independent thinkers who work collaboratively and demonstrate a high degree of individual responsibility."
About
Nova was founded by a group of students, parents and teachers in 1970. The curriculum is multidisciplinary and project-oriented, with an emphasis on individualized learning contracts, internships and community service. Nova functions through student-run, teacher-supported committees that decide school budgeting, the hiring and review process of staff, discussion forums, orientation of new students, and cultural affairs.
The credit system is competency-based which means students receive either full, partial or no credit. Each student picks a teacher to be their coordinator, with whom they design a personal learning plan. As of the 2022-2023 school year, Nova's 4 year graduation rate was 70%. Nova classes include every grade (9-12). Class size varies but they tend to be quite small ranging from ten to twenty students. However, some classes can be smaller for example classes for students with special needs or lab based science classes. Nova students have the option of creating "independent contracts" with their teachers to earn credit for extracurricular projects and activities. It is common for Nova students to co-teach classes with their teachers, generating curriculum and building facilitation skills in line with Nova's student-led philosophy. Like other Seattle Public Schools students, Nova students may participate in the Running Start
Running Start is a dual credit enrollment program in Washington, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Montana and Illinois which allows high school juniors and seniors to attend college courses numbered 100 or above, while completing high school. It is simila ...
program and take classes at a local community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior se ...
.
Nova is a safe space for students of all identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, religions, backgrounds and is an advocate for mental health awareness. Nova has worked on creating their own Teen Health Center specific for their students which is actively inclusive to their diverse demographics. There are many days dedicated for speakers and social justice work. Nova has Consent Day, Racial Justice Day, Gender Tea and much more.
Notable staff, alumni and former students
*Reiko Aylesworth
Reiko M. Aylesworth (born December 9, 1972) is an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role on the television series '' 24'' as Michelle Dessler.
Early life, career start
Aylesworth was born December 9, 1972, in Evanst ...
, actress best known from the TV series '' 24''
* Theodore Cecil DeCelles, electronic musician and author
*Stephen Funk
Stephen Funk (born June 15, 1982) is a former United States Marine Corps Landing Support Specialist and Lance Corporal reservist. He was the first person to publicly refuse to deploy in Iraq.
Background
Stephen Funk decided to enlist in the Unite ...
, the first U.S. military service member to publicly refuse to deploy to the US war in Iraq
*Stefan Gruber
Stefan Gruber (born December 8, 1975) is an American experimental animator and performance artist from Seattle, Washington. They create hand-drawn, digitally finished experimental animation shorts and are Animation Department founder and teac ...
, animator and performance artist
* America Hoffman, son of ''Abbie Hoffman
Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was an American political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies") and was a member of the Chicago Seven. He was also a leading propone ...
''
*Matthew Lawton, writer and comedian
*Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy '' Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy '' The Doom Genera ...
, actress and singer
*Bonnie McKee
Bonnie Leigh McKee (born January 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, '' Trouble'', was released in 2004 under Reprise Records. After underperforming, McKee was dropped by her label and took a musical hiatus before e ...
, singer and songwriter
*Eve Rickert
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
, co-author of ''More Than Two
''More Than Two'' is a non-fiction book about consensual non-monogamous relationships. The first edition, ''More Than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory,'' written by Franklin Veaux and Eve Rickert, was published in 2014 by Thorntree P ...
''
*Brisa Roché
Brisa Roché (born in Arcata, California) is an American singer-songwriter who has spent much of her life residing in France. She moved to Paris after the death of her father, an adventurer, and began busking at age 18 in the Paris Metro; the ...
, musician
See also
*Disability rights
The disability rights movement is a global new social movements, social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunity, equal opportunities and equality before the law, equal rights for all people with disability, disabilities.
It is made u ...
*LGBTQ+
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term is ...
* BIPOC+ rights
*Social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...
References
External links
NovaKnows (Nova's student-created website
Seattle Public Schools - Nova High School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nova Project, The Alternative schools in the United States Central District, Seattle Public high schools in Washington (state) Seattle Public Schools 1970 establishments in Washington (state) Educational institutions established in 1970