The Academies@NMHS represent a bold direction for education in the New Milford Public School District, one that considers student interest, national need and global demand for highly qualified graduates capable of competing at  the most challenging levels. The Academy of Arts and Letters, the STEM Academy, and the Academy for Global Leadership offer concentrated studies in well-defined, career-focused areas directly connected to university majors and workforce needs. The Academies@NMHS cultivate emerging professionals who exhibit the knowledge, skill, character and work ethic necessary for success in the global  marketplace.  

An Academy student demonstrates interest and aptitude in a career-focused area, exhibits evidence of a sound work ethic, possesses a record of exemplary conduct and attendance, and expresses a willingness to immerse oneself in a concentrated course of study during a four-year period.  

In addition to the array of career-focused curricula associated with each of the Academies, there are special features that further define the Academy experience:  

• Professional mentorships;  

• Opportunities for dual credit;  

• Access to resources outside the school setting;  

• Relationships with partnering institutions, organizations, and local colleges/universities;

• Master classes, workshops, and other related field study;  

• Senior Capstone Project  

Admissions to The Academies@NMHS is open to all New Milford students. Applicants are required to submit an Application for Designation signed by the student and the student’s parents. Applicants are asked to explain why enrollment in the Academies is  important, and what they hope to gain from the experience. They must also describe what personal attributes they possess, and what they have done in the school community to  illustrate their interests in a particular designation.  

Teachers have the unique ability to promote opportunity for all children and make a lasting impact, now and into the future. Each of the three academies embraces a lifelong passion for learning, the possibility for future careers in education, and offers  opportunities to inspire the teachers and caregivers of tomorrow through an endorsement in Education. To nurture students’ interests in teaching as a profession, students in any of the Academies@NMHS must take a minimum of two courses, inclusive of Tomorrow’s Teachers, to qualify for the Education Endorsement. Other courses include Childhood Development, Sociology, or approved Advancement/Enrichment offerings and independent study.  

Upon successful completion of targeted courses in an Academy sequence over a four year period, students receive special Academy designation on their high school diplomas. 

Studies in the Humanities are interdisciplinary and include courses in literature, cultural studies, history, and the arts. The study of humanities may lead to the answers of complex questions, such as, how does the past influence the present and the future? How does life imitate art? Why do some titles, essays, speeches, characters, songs, films, plays, and  performers endure time while others do not? A student in The Academy of Arts and Letters is not just one who completes a series of Liberal Arts courses, but one who investigates, through critical analysis, and finds value in differing interpretations, perspectives, cultures, and opinions.  

There are two concentrations within the program, Humanities and Performing Arts. A Humanities concentration may prepare students for professions in many fields including but not limited to: law, diplomacy, politics, journalism, education, literature, psychology, activism, environmentalism, and broadcasting. The Performing Arts concentration  appeals to students who demonstrate talents and passions for the performing arts,  including opportunities for the performer to use the artist’s own body, face and voice, or use musical instruments, clay, metal, paint, and technology for exploration and creative expression. 

Students interested in The Academy of Arts and Letters possess the desire to create, question, respond, critique and communicate with others in writing, in speaking and through works of art. The program encourages self-reflection, a self-reflection which in turn helps develop personal consciousness and/or an active sense of civic duty. As a capstone experience, we encourage students to reach across disciplines and cultures to deepen their understanding of a work of literature, a time period in history, a figure in history or art, a genre, or an artistic milieu through independent or work related study, internship or travel.  

Studies in The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy are interdisciplinary in nature and include a variety of required and elective courses. According to both the United States National Research Council and the National Science Foundation, the STEM fields are collectively considered core technological underpinnings of an advanced society. In many forums (including political/governmental and academic) the strength of the STEM workforce is viewed as an indicator of a nation’s ability to sustain itself. STEM studies may lead to the answers of complex questions: What is our place in the universe? How do bioethical issues impact our society? How do  the many disciplines assist us in our ability to compete in a global society?  

A student in The STEM Academy is not just one who completes a series of math and science courses, but one who enjoys learning through investigation, scientific, technological and mathematical inquiry, and through discovery and analysis. The STEM Academy may prepare students for professions in many fields including but not limited to: psychology, biochemistry, medicine, engineering, accounting, education, architecture,  aeronautics, statistics, computer sciences, food sciences, and applied mathematics. Core and elective offerings will appeal to students who find themselves drawn to these disciplines. These students possess an innate curiosity to inquire, investigate, problem solve, create, experiment, apply, and reflect on and critique their findings. The goal for STEM students is to cultivate a group of future leaders who possess the ability to think  critically as a result of deep analysis. The program encourages the students to engage in self-reflection, which in turn, helps develop solid content knowledge, personal  consciousness, ethical behavior and active contribution to the STEM workforce. As a  capstone experience, we encourage students to reach across disciplines and cultures to  deepen their understanding of an area under the STEM umbrella through independent or work related study, internship or travel. 

Studies in The Academy for Global Leadership (AGL) are interdisciplinary and include a variety of core and elective courses in business, world affairs, world languages, humanitarian studies, global perspectives in literature and ethics. Students within the AGL have the option for an additional Business concentration through participation in project-based business courses. The goal of the AGL is to prepare a new generation of critical thinkers for effective and ethical leadership, ready to act as global citizens in addressing international and national issues across cultures. A study in AGL may lead to the answers of complex questions, such as: What is the role of the US in world diplomacy and the ethical treatment of human beings? How do we promote ethical business practices nationally and internationally? Are we within our rights to impose the American values of democracy and capitalism on other nations?  

Students in The Academy for Global Leadership complete a series of core and elective courses cultivating written and oral communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, diplomacy, multicultural sensitivity, tolerance, acceptance and the differences between critical and normative thinking. There is an emphasis on research, international study and debate. Value is placed on both individual progress and on collaborative  efforts, as students are exposed to the rigors and challenges of a diverse, interdependent world. Coursework should allow students to identify, cultivate and assert their leadership  qualities in preparation for professions in many fields including but not limited to: international business, foreign affairs, world languages, humanitarian efforts, economics, public speaking, library studies, law, politics, and education.  

The program encourages the students to engage in critical thinking and self-reflection, which in turn, helps develop multicultural awareness, business acumen, ethical behavior and active contribution to a global society. As a capstone experience, we encourage students to reach across disciplines and cultures to exercise their leadership abilities through independent or work related study, internship, networking or travel.