What does DREAMS stand for? DREAMS = Duluth Real-World Engineering Arts Math & Science
What does STEAM stand for? Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.
Is DREAMS Academy the only place where I participate in STEAM at Duluth High School? Definitely not! The focus on STEAM at Duluth is school-wide. Students not enrolled in the DREAMS program may still take several AP courses in science and math in addition to being able to take Foundation of Engineering, Engineering Concepts, and Advanced Robotics and Megatronics courses as electives.
Who can participate? Any rising 9th grader may apply for admission into DREAMS. Students may also apply for admission during their 10th grade year on a limited basis beginning in 2019-20.
Can I participate in electives such as orchestra & band if enrolled in DREAMS Academy? The answer is it depends upon which program you are completing in DREAMS. Students that are completing the fine arts pathway may select from a number of DREAMS blended core course to complete while still having the flexibility to take any elective that they choose including orchestra, band, or chorus. For students completing our engineering pathway, they will not be able to participate in electives such as orchestra/band/chorus because in addition to foreign language, they will be competing at least three of the following engineering electives in 4 years: Foundations of Engineering, Engineering Concepts, and Engineering Applications. In addition, 4th year optional—engineering internship or Advance Robotics & Megatronics.
Can I take Accelerated Science while being in the DREAMS Academy? No. Because of the 9th Grade LA/Biology blended course that is part of the 9th grade DREAMS curriculum, students may not take Accelerated Science and DREAMS. Accelerated Science is for those students who love science and plan to take as many science classes (mainly AP) as they can in high school. Students that plan to take Accelerated Science in 9th grade must also be very strong math students who should be currently taking either Algebra 1 or Accelerated Algebra 1 this year with solid "A's". Please note that DREAMS Academy curriculum is taught at the HONORS level which may not always be the rigor needed for some GIFTED students. Consequently, GIFTED students may want to consider taking the accelerated track for courses instead of DREAMS Academy.
Can I take AP courses while in DREAMS Academy? Yes. Students in DREAMS Academy will still be required to complete the same number of Carnegie units to graduate as regular curriculum. With the exception of 9th grade year where the only AP course option is to take AP Human Geography, students may take multiple AP courses while also enrolled in DREAMS Academy. Students are encouraged to visit the Duluth High School website at www.duluthhigh.org as well as to participate in our AP Night and College Career and Readiness Nights in order to find out more information about Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
Do I need to complete summer reading for 9 LA CP, 9 LA Honors, or 9 LA Gifted if I am enrolled in DREAMS? Yes, you will have a summer reading assignment; however, you will not complete the regular summer reading assignments that are posted on the Duluth High School website for 9 LA CP, 9 LA Honors, or 9 LA Gifted. The 9th grade year for DREAMS students includes a 9 LA/Biology/Oral & Written Communications blended course; consequently, DREAMS students will have their own unique summer reading assignment to complete. The DREAMS summer reading assignments will be clearly labeled on the Duluth High School website, and they will be posted no later than May of each year. You may access this assignment by visiting the Duluth High School website at www.duluthhigh.org and clicking on the "Academics" tab followed by clicking on the "Summer Reading" link. Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Can I drop out of DREAMS if I don’t like it? Yes. Although we do not encourage students to drop out of the DREAMS Academy, we do realize that this program may not suit the needs of all students. Students are required to participate for the duration of the school year in which they are enrolled. Students may opt to leave the program once the year is complete
Are DREAMS classes only for Honors students? No! Project Based Learning is beneficial and accessible to everyone. Any motivated student can participate. All CP, HONORS, and GIFTED students are eligible to apply.
How is a DREAMS class different than a regular class? Because Language Arts and Biology will be blocked, students and teachers will have flexibility to integrate curriculum and projects. Language Arts skills will be taught through and in conjunction with Biology. Projects will integrate Language Arts, Oral and Written Communication, and Biology. Some days students will work seamlessly on their projects for the entire two hours, other days may focus more time on Language Arts, other days may be more about Biology. Instruction and work time will be decided by student needs rather than dictated by the bell.
Is a Project Based Learning course more difficult than a regular class? No. Just different. Students will learn the course content through their projects rather in the more traditional "learn, then test" format of a regular class. Project Based Learning is more student-driven than teacher driven. In a PBL class, students learn to be self-starters and how to manage their time to meet deadlines, just like in their future careers.
Will I take interim assessments for each class in the blended learning courses? (i.e. Physics/Engineering and 9LA/Bio/Oral & Written Communications) Yes. All students will be expected to take a pretest, midterm interim as well as final exam for each part of a blended course. For instance, 9th graders taking the blended course of 9 LA / Biology / Oral & Written Communication will take a pretest, interim, and final exam for 9 LA, Biology, and Oral & Written Communication in order to receive credit.
Where can I find out more information as well as apply for DREAMS Academy? Visit the Duluth High School website at www.duluthhighh.org. Please click on the tab above, "Apply" to submit your application for DREAMS Academy.
How do I apply for DREAMS? Applications for DREAMS begin during the first week of December and close during the last week of January each year. You may access the application link by visiting the Duluth High School website or clicking on the "apply" link above listed under the "more" option .