Details

Following the June 12th meeting of the Dublin City Board of Education, the district is excited to announce two school-within-a-school models created to best meet the needs of Dublin High Schoolers.  

The WAY:

During the 2022-2023 school year, Dublin City Schools was the sole partner remaining in the Heart of Georgia College and Career Academy, a program originally intended to meet the needs of local industries through a regional partnership between several school districts.  Therefore, a steering committee made up of regional industry experts, Oconee Fall Line Technical College, Dublin City Schools staff and students as well as vested community stakeholders has been meeting this year to determine next steps. 

     The Heart of Georgia College and Career Academy has dissolved.  And, the Dublin City Schools College and Career Academy, commonly referred to as The WAY, is our answer to what’s next.  

     Rooted in Workforce Accelerating Youth, the school-within-a-school College and Career Academy will be ingrained within Dublin High School’s community and culture.  The WAY will further ensure that workforce readiness and career/life skills are more than just a buzzword but a true part of the DNA of Dublin City Schools.   

     It will be placed within Dublin High School’s 400 and 500 hallways, meaning that for the first time in over a decade, ALL students will have a firsthand look at ALL the career education opportunities Dublin City Schools provides.  Additionally, because of the new model, students will no longer lose valuable instruction time caused by the need to travel to a separate location.

     Through The WAY, students will be able to graduate on Friday night and be prepared to start work on Saturday morning. 

     Moving forward, all career education opportunities across Dublin City Schools will be under the umbrella of The WAY.  For the 2023-2024 school year, students will be able to take:  Agriculture, Air Force JROTC, Business & Technology, Career Skills, Certified Nursing Assistant, Construction, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Food Sciences, Mechatronics, Teaching as a Profession and Welding.  

     Current and rising Dublin High School students will have first priority to The WAY’s course offerings.  However, because we are a Charter School District, homeschool students or students that attend school within another district are able to take The WAY classes "a la carte."  For additional information, please contact Dublin City Schools’ CTAE Director and CEO of the Dublin City Schools College and Career Academy, Mr. Ben Lanier at ben.lanier@dcsirish.com 

The Irish Honors Academy: 

Similar to The WAY, the Irish Honors Academy is a school within a school program developed to offer talented, gifted and highly-motivated 9th - 12th Grade students with opportunities and challenges to ensure they’re college and career ready.  The program encompasses Dublin High School’s honors, dual-enrollment, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses.  

     Rooted in preparing its students for college admissions, the Irish Honors Academy program focuses on core subjects such as English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies - especially as Dublin High School is the sole IB World School between Macon and Savannah.  To ensure its rigor, all IHA core classes are either honors, dual-enrollment, Advanced Placement, or IB.  However, based on each student’s individual needs, they may choose the number of Irish Honors Academy courses they take.  For example, they may elect to take IHA Math & Sciences classes while enrolling in traditional English Language Arts and Social Studies courses. 

 

     In addition to  preparing students for acceptance into and success in top colleges and universities, the Irish Honors Academy supports students in developing study skills, time management skills, reading comprehension abilities, writing fluency as well as advanced math and science reasoning skills.  Irish Honors Academy students also have the opportunity to: 

• Take annual college visits to top colleges in Georgia, 

• Receive an Irish Honors Academy seal on their diploma and 

• Wear honors cords at graduation.  

     Qualifying criteria for the Irish Honors Academy will include: 

• The student’s academic history

• Reading Inventory/Math Inventory Assessments

• Lexile Levels

• Assessment scores (GMAS)

• Teacher recommendations 

• The student’s attendance record 

     Current and rising Dublin High School students that have been previously identified as talented, gifted, and highly-motivated will be automatically enrolled for the 2023-2024 school year.  Families that are not currently enrolled within Dublin City Schools but are interested in the program are encouraged to contact Dublin High School’s Principal, Dr. Michael Overstreet at michael.overstreet@dcsirish.com, for more information. 

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Students of both The WAY and the Irish Honors Academy will be fully enrolled within Dublin High School and, as such, can participate in all fine arts department offerings and extracurricular activities.