“It is a wonderful program, that we feel a lot of the community doesn’t really know about.”
The goal for all school districts is to educate students while also preparing them for life after graduation. Some may go to college, while others may go right into the workforce, but regardless of the career path, the goal stays the same for the district.
The Palmyra Learning Academy, which is located inside the Delaware Avenue School, is offered to at-risk high school students to help them graduate and prepare for life.
“It is a wonderful program that we feel a lot of the community doesn’t really know about,” public information officer Valerie Still said. “There are nine students currently enrolled, seven male and two female.”
The academy has been in full swing for six years, helping to educate students so they do not fall behind in their studies. Two full-time teachers run the classes, while other teachers also come in to help in certain areas.
“Former principal Joe Martin and current principal Ken Holloway were the two men who helped put this together,” Still said. “They were the brains behind it, and wanted an alternative to help get students out of the door as graduates.”
The academy has helped keep students in the buildings and avoid dropping out of the school in general, Still said.
It is offered to grades nine through 12 and focuses on individual student needs in a project-based learning format. Identified students are offered an opportunity to learn and benefit in this program, and the academy was designed to better fit their learning styles and goals.
“Everybody learns at a different pace than others,” Still said. “It’s a smaller class size, which allows students the opportunity to interact with these teachers more frequently.”
Technology plays a vital role in the Palmyra Learning Academy, as a one-on-one-student computer ratio was established to create an environment of enhanced independent learning. Project-based learning is a tool used to merge individualized learning plans with district curricula.
Counseling is also a key component of the PLA, as the high school provides regular one-on-one and group counseling to meet the needs of its population.
“Our goals for the future are to pair this academy with the Dr. Clarence B Jones Institute for Social Advocacy, which is located in Palmyra High School,” Still said. “Dr. Jones and I are well-connected and he is very motivated to making sure this institute makes a positive impact on our community and world.”
Students in the PLA are encouraged to be active members of the Palmyra High School community, and are also permitted and encouraged to participate in sports and extracurricular activities.
“The biggest, most rewarding feedback comes from not only the students but also the parents, guardians, family and friends of PLA students who walk across the stage in June and receive a diploma,” Holloway said. “The hugs, ‘thank you” and expressions of appreciation are in abundance.”
For more information regarding the PLA, check http://www.palmyraschools.com/ps/BOE.
