Lipscomb Academy IGNITE offers students opportunity to learn from university professors
Grace Mestad |
Lipscomb Academy has a unique placement compared to many preK-12 schools in the country. It is one of only a few schools in the nation that is part of a university.
With its affiliation with Lipscomb University and its location on the university’s campus, Lipscomb Academy is able to offer their students innovative learning opportunities through a unique program called Ignite.
This year the academy has joined together again with the university to offer its students a new option in the Ignite program in leadership and public service. The program is designed in partnership with Lipscomb’s College of Leadership & Public Service.
On Monday, Nov. 7, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. academy students participating in this new Ignite program will spend the day on Lipscomb’s campus attending sessions and hearing unique messages on a host of issues including sustainability and energy consumption, the role of the media, bringing jobs back to our shore and the role of religion and spirituality in politics.
Each hour-long session will be presented by Lipscomb University faculty as well as Lydia Lenker, former television correspondent and press secretary for former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen.
Mark Pugh, chair of Lipscomb Academy’s department of social studies and instructor in advanced placement government and politics, US government and world history, directs the Leadership and Public Service Ignite program,.
“Through Ignite, students will have various experiences in their chosen field in order to help them make career decisions,” said Pugh. “One goal of the program is to expose them to speakers and experiences that will deepen their understanding and open their eyes further to possibilities, but we also want to leverage the resources available at the university as well as the city of Nashville, the Middle Tennessee Region and the state to bring into this program and further benefit our students.”
In order to attend these sessions students must apply to the Ignite program with an application, letter of recommendation and maintain a 3.0 average GPA.
Once accepted into the program students are given four subject areas to choose from—leadership and public service, health sciences, business, and ministry and missions. Students must apply to the programs and agree to spend the year studying and learning in their chosen field.
Students must accumulate 10 credits of learning experiences during their time in Ignite. Those credits must come from at least five different types of learning experiences provided throughout the year. They must also maintain a portfolio of their learning experiences as well as give a capstone presentation at the end of the year.
Ignite offers students unique and interesting ways to learn from individuals serving in their field of interest. They also experience learning outside of the traditional classroom setting in areas of study that particularly interest them in order to help them grow their passions and lay the foundation for what may someday be their future careers.
For more information visit http://www.lipscomb.edu/academy/ignite.