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I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM & VPA: First Year in Review

July 16,2019

New FWISD School of Choice for STEM & VPA Earns Long List of Accomplishments in Year One

I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) & VPA (Visual Performing Arts) is a public high school of choice serving grades 9-12. Each year an incoming class of 200 students are selected (125 VPA, 75 STEM) through an application and audition process, with their first graduating class to be in 2022. Located just east of Downtown Fort Worth, the school’s plaza and classrooms have inspiring views of the city skyline.

Their first freshman class entered in fall 2018, with students from 25 FWISD middle schools, private, public, charter, and homeschools. In their first year, the apprentices of I.M. Terrell Academy experienced unique learning opportunities and gained impressive skills in a blended and challenging learning environment that nurtures the relationship between the arts and sciences.

 

STEM Highlights

Facebook's Engineer for the Week

In May 2019, three student engineers of I.M. Terrell Academy joined a handful of teams from across the country as finalists in the Facebook Engineer for the Week (EFTW) Achievement Challenge. In partnership with the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the I.M. Terrell team was tasked with developing a game to tackle tough social issues in their community, and created The Texting and Driving Simulator. The team of ninth grade apprentices, Jihyeon Na, Gonzalo Soto, and Franklin "Max" Bellomy, were chosen to attend the EFTW Achievement Summit at Facebook Headquarters in Menlo Park, California, where they networked with other finalists and Facebook engineers. While there, they also took the opportunity to tour the Stanford University campus.

Engineering Experiences

The 9th and 10th grade engineering experiences at I.M. Terrell are designed by professors at UT Austin through the Engineer Your World curriculum. Typically offered to 11th and 12th grade students with high interest in STEM, the students of I.M. Terrell rise up to the challenging program.

Robotics Competitions

The Robotics teams attended three competitions including the FTC Competition at Ferris High School in January 2019, Flower Mound High School Competition in March 2019, and hosted their first competition at I. M. Terrell Academy in May 2019.

 

STEM field experiences in 2018-2019 were offered from Fort Worth's BRIT, Trinity River Vision Authority, Burns & McDonnell, Allied Electronics, EarthX, Amazon, TPG, EverFi and the Fort Worth Museum of Science & History.

 

VPA Highlights

Fine Arts Featured Exhibitions:

  • High School Student Art Show at Fort Worth Central Library
  • “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder" BRIT Gallery

Vocal Music Featured Performances:

  • Performance with the United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants (I.M. Terrell)
  • Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Performance with the Fort Worth Children’s Honor Choir Performance with the TCU Concert Chorale (TCU’s Amon G. Carter Stadium)
  • Kimbell Art Museum Family Festival
  • Spring Musical Review (I.M. Terrell)

Dance Featured Performances:

  • FWISD Dance Showcase (I.M. Terrell)
  • TCC Dance Converge (Sundance Square Plaza)
  • Fort Worth Symphony- Young Persons Concert (Bass Performance Hall)
  • IM Terrell Instrumental Music Winter Concert (I.M. Terrell)
  • Ballet Frontier's, Directors Choice FWISD Dance Showcase (I.M. Terrell)
  • Sunrise McMillan Elementary
  • First Saint John Cathedral
  • Terrell Dance Ensemble Showcase (I.M. Terrell)
  • Fort Worth Youth Philharmonic (I.M. Terrell)
  • Performing Arts Fort Worth Luncheon
  • Fall Play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (I.M. Terrell)
  • Terrell Dance Spring Concert- Volume 1 (I.M. Terrell)

Instrumental Music Featured Performances:

  • Performance with the United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants (I.M. Terrell)
  • FWISD Teacher of the Year Reception
  • Kimbell Art Museum Family Festival
  • Side-by-Side Rehearsal with Fort Worth Symphony (I.M. Terrell)
  • Performing Arts Fort Worth Luncheon

I.M. Terrell Theatre:

  • Fall Play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
  • Spring Musical Review

UIL One-Act Play Awards:

  • Rashayla Anderson, All-Star Technician
  • Scooter Sachs, All-Star Cast
  • Ava McKay, All-Star Cast

 

College Scholarship Highlight

The RaiseMe program partners with colleges and universities to offer students scholarships starting in the 9th grade. Of the 118 students using this program, they have earned a total of $4,454,545 in possible scholarships.

 

For more information about I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA, click here.

Location Mentioned: I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and Visual Performing Arts