Augsburg Fairview Academy Graduation

MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 5, 2013) — Augsburg Fairview Academy, a charter high school in Minneapolis, celebrated its 2013 graduating class recently.

The school is unique for serving many students who have not found success in traditional educational institutions. It offers a teen-friendly, and family-friendly, atmosphere in which students are deeply respected and everyone is held to a high standard of personal honor.

In order that they may grow in motivation and self-discipline, Augsburg Fairview Academy students are treated like adults and given a great deal of trust and independence. The expectation is that they will in turn conduct themselves as responsible and self-directed learners.

The mission of Augsburg Fairview Academy is to invite young adults from diverse communities to prepare for college, career, and life through an intense program of rigorous study and real-world connections to health care, education, and other human services. Its vision is to support, motivate and challenge high school students to achieve not only academic success but the habits of mind and body that will give them happiness, satisfaction, and wellness for the rest of their lives.

The diverse student body of Augsburg Fairview Academy is comprised of 94.5 percent minorities. Of these students 21.2 percent are Native Americans; the Cherokee, Lakota and Ojibwe are some of the tribes represented.

Appriximately 75.1 percent of the students are Black. This number includes students of African-American, Haitian, Liberian, and Somali descent.

Around 1.8 percent of students are Asian. This includes Hmong and Laotian, along with 1.2 percent Hawaiian and Pacific Islander.

Hispanic students make up 4.2 percent of the student population.

More than 92.1 percent of studens come from low-income households and 57.5 percent are considered homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act.

After reviewing these statistics perhaps the most important number is the 90 percent of graduates 90 percent that go onto post-secondary education.

Augsburg Fairview Academy offers four days of classes with intensive academic support on Fridays and afterschool. Students are able to learn in a small class environment with the guidance and support of caring staff.

Students enrolled at AFA receive an unlimited Metro Transit Student Pass. The pass does not get cut-off as long as they are enrolled at AFA during the school year. Students are able to use the pass after school and on weekends unlike students enrolled other schools.

Minneapolis and St. Paul students enrolled at Augsburg Fairview Academy are eligible for the Power of You program; which, combined with PSEO students enables them to receive four to five years of college tuition free.

Augsburg Fairview Academy has two programs for students, College Fast Track and Connections.

College Fast Track is comprised of a mix of teacher-lead classes and self-directed learning. Students in this program are able to complete all of their required high school courses in three years, and then enroll in college courses through PSEO.

The Connections Program was developed to serve the needs of older students who are a year or more behind in credits, some of whom may not have been enrolled in school for some time. The intensive, one-year intervention program focuses exclusively on English and Mathematics. Students who complete the program go on to the College Fast Track program or at another high school of their choice.

Learn more about Augsburg Fairview Academy at www.afa.tc.