RISE Program Overview

The courses for each grade level in the STEM program were chosen by a panel of teachers, students, administrators, and advisory board members, aligned with the graduation requirements for the county and state, in order to best prepare the students for a career in a STEM related field. Students that are in the program from ninth through eleventh grade will earn the state-certified engineering pathway completion which will be noted on their diploma with a seal. Because the STEM field needs employees of all educational backgrounds, the RISE program caters to all levels of students. Therefore, we have tried to provide as many options for students as we can by allowing them to take the majority of the advanced placement courses outside of the STEM block if they chose to do so. You can see a sample 4 year programming schedule below:

All 32 AP courses at Collins Hill are available to the RISE students that meet the necessary qualifications. The core courses within the RISE program are offered at the Honors and Gifted level and are open to all students that are on track for graduation. The course sequence is aligned with the GaDOE and Gwinnett High School graduation requirements. A student may join or leave the program between each new school year. Students will take all other courses required for graduation outside of the blocked RISE time throughout the school day. This includes social studies, elective courses, foreign language, etc. There are no after-school responsibilities as part of this program though many students choose to be actively involved in clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Students are encouraged to meet with a counselor upon entering the RISE program to discuss coursework. There are several opportunities that are available to students as part of the RISE program and planning early allows students to engage and prepare for these opportunities.