Nowell Academy Offers Alternative For Teens Struggling to Stay In School

The First round of applications for the Nowell Academy are available for the 2013 - 2014 academic year and must be returned by March 15, 2013. 

The Sheila C. “Skip” Nowell Leadership Academy Charter School is an ideal setting for pregnant and parenting teens or other students who find the traditional school setting unaccommodating. 

Students from any Rhode Island community may apply to attend the high

school which will have classroom sites in the Olneyville section of
Providence and in Central Falls at the Pawtucket line.

While it is open to all Rhode Island residents between the ages of 15
and 20, the focus is on at-risk students. That includes teenagers who
are pregnant or already parents, who have family responsibilities that
make it difficult to attend school, or who have dropped out of high
school. On-site Infant /toddler childcare is available for teen
parents.

The Nowell Academy combines online studies with classroom work and
offers year-round instruction, with 15 hours of online lessons and 15
hours of classroom experience each week. Students also receive
computers with wireless capability.

The academy uses the nationally recognized NovaNet curriculum, and
each student receives an individualized lesson plan. Achievement will
be assessed through standardized tests such as the New England Common
Assessment Program (NECAP) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

In addition to a rigorous academic course, the Nowell Academy provides
supportive social services such as affordable on-site day care for
students’ children. It also offers family planning services, health
and nutrition workshops, and preventative health care for infants and
young children.

The coming academic year will be the first for the Nowell Academy. It
developed from YWCA Rhode Island’s Parenting in Progress educational
program founded in 1985 by Sheila “Skip” Nowell, former executive
director.

Enrollment in the Nowell Academy is limited to 160 students. For
information and an application, call YWCA Rhode Island at (401)
722-3010. Information also is available online at ywcari.org; follow
the link to the Nowell Academy.