New Santa Rosa Independent School To Be Among Nation's First to Use Innovative 'Next Generation Learning' Curriculum

SANTA ROSA, Calif., March 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- NGL Academy, a new independent high school – among the nation's first designed to use the innovative Next Generation Learning (NGL) curriculum and platform developed by Opportunity Education – will open its doors in Santa Rosa to an inaugural class of ninth-graders in August.

Founded by businessman and philanthropist Joe Ricketts, NGL Academy begins accepting applications for Grade 9 this week. The school will operate out of a facility currently being refurbished on Farmers Lane, just north of Bennett Valley Road.

"We need to prepare young people to succeed in the jobs of the future, and since we don't know what those jobs will be, we need to teach them not just specific skills but more generally how to acquire skills," said Ricketts.  "In essence, NGL Academy is a school designed to teach students how to learn." 

This emphasis on acquiring learning skills is at the core of NGL Academy's approach. "Our curriculum offers students rich opportunities to develop skills in meaningful, real-world contexts and applications," said Karen Kenkel, Director of the School.  "The goal is to unleash creative thinking and intellectual horsepower, while providing students the tools to succeed in life and to realize their dreams."

While the school's structure may be different, the learning that students do will encompass traditional subject matter while branching out in new and interesting ways. "We will be carefully observing the work of our learners and looking to student creations to demonstrate student understanding," said Raymond Ravaglia, NGL's Chief Learning Officer. Ravaglia founded the acclaimed Stanford Online High School and was previously Director of Pre-Collegiate Studies at Stanford University. "The focus at NGL Academy won't be on a steady diet of examinations," he added, "but rather on a steady examination of actual student work as evidence of student learning. Of course, we need to prepare our students to do well on exams, but this should not be the main goal."

While realizing the dreams of students may be the goal of NGL Academy, realizing the dreams of students' parents is also part of the story. To this end, NGL Academy is committed to affordable tuition and offers substantive scholarships as part of the Ricketts Family Scholars program.  This level of scholarship support will help to ensure that all qualified students who are admitted to NGL Academy will be able to attend.

Developed by Opportunity Education over the past two years, the NGL platform and curriculum combine the latest developments in learning science and innovative technology to create a learning environment that puts a priority on relevance and engagement.  This in turn draws students in, resulting in more enthusiasm for school and deeper learning.

Parents interested in enrolling their children or finding out more about NGL Academy can get additional information online at www.ngl.academy or by telephoning the school at (707) 733-6452.

Fast Facts about NGL Academy

• Designed and led by veteran educators, integrating the best of their insights with a new face-to-face school experience.
• Learning is student-centric, built on student-driven exploration, relevant presentation of material, and deep engagement in learning.
• Teachers act as mentors, supporting the learning of students, and offering resources, questions and challenges but never just lecturing to them.
• A low 12:1 student/mentor ratio. Most mentors have advanced degrees. All mentors are focused on making each child succeed.
• A "whole student" approach fostering self-skills, social skills, and global competencies along side academic knowledge. 
• Engagement in the community through service learning or internships providing students opportunities to act in the world, to discover what motivates them, and to learn how to become the agents of their own destiny.
• Extensive scholarship program available for students.  
• Accepting applications for Grade 9 starting March 20, 2017

SOURCE NGL Academy

Related Links

http://www.ngl.academy