By Anne Delaney
Northridge High School’s STEM Academy was one of two academies in the U.S. to win a Sanford I. Weill Award for Excellence during a virtual conference in mid July.
Northridge and Hialeah Gardens High School Academy of Health Sciences in Hialeah Gardens, Florida received the Weill awards presented during the National Academy Foundation Next 2021 conference July 13-15.
Weill is a global philanthropist, chairman and founder of NAF, a national network of education, business and community leaders who collaborate to see high school students are ready for college, careers and their futures.
The annual award recognizes a select number of NAF academies exhibiting the highest standards for public-private partnerships for the benefit of students. This honor was established in 2013 on the occasion of Weill’s 80th birthday.
Northridge’s STEM Academy has been part of NAF for nearly a decade. In 2018, the academy was consolidated into one academy comprised of engineering, IT, mathematics and the sciences. The change allowed the high school to accommodate hundreds more students and promote equity in connecting to additional career pathways.
Former city of Greeley mayor Tom Norton currently serves as the academy’s advisory board chair. Norton has worked with members to amplify the schools’ work in the community – including facilitation mock interviews, securing guest speakers, and recruiting for internships in the fields of engineering, architecture, IT, and through city positions.
The Northridge academy also reached NAF’s highest level of achievement over the last two years, known as the Katherine Blasik Distinguished level.
In October, the Northridge STEM Academy was recognized by NAF as a distinguished academy for 2019-20. The distinguished academy honor acknowledges the students in the Northridge academy are college and career ready, and that the academy mirrors the demographics of the school in ethnicity, gender, English language learners and students who qualify for free and reduced meals.