Alternative Education - Stamford Public Schools

In 2019, The Justice Education Center received a 5 year 21st Century Award from the State Department of Education to collaborate with the Stamford Public Schools’ Alternative Routes to Success (ARTS). ARTS provides an academic and developmental home for Stamford’s over-age and under-credit students who are challenged with cultural, environmental, situational, family and personal issues that may impact behavior and the ability to learn in a traditional high school setting. 

The goals of the program are multi-faceted and include: enhancing student in-school performance; providing an after-school enrichment program that focuses specifically on science, technology and math and increasing student ability to understand and engage in personal health and wellness strategies.  

The initiative will provide an opportunity for students to obtain a hands-on STEM education and also gain exposure to pathways leading to scientific careers.  Students will learn applied scientific methods and practical scientific skills through experimentation and daily class activities. In order to encourage students to obtain a future education or job in a STEM-related field, guest speakers and class discussions will expose students to workforce applications related to the program curriculum.  It will expose students to a variety of scientific careers with a focus on biotechnology, inspire students to explore science that interests them, foster student independence using project-based learning, and prepare them for 21st century careers.