The Nova Project

The Nova Project, also known as Nova, is a small public alternative high school in Seattle, Washington, operated by the Seattle Public School District. Its goal is to be a "democratically governed learning community of broadly educated, creative, and independent thinkers who work collaboratively and demonstrate a high degree of individual responsibility."[2]

The Nova Project
Location
2410 E. Cherry St.
Seattle, Washington 98122
Information
TypeAlternative, Public
Established1970
PrincipalMark Perry
Faculty25
Enrollment336 (2016-17)[1]
Information(206) 252-3500
Websitehttp://www.novaknows.com
The former Horace Mann School, site of Nova for most of its history.

About

Nova was founded by a group of students, parents and teachers in 1970.[3] The curriculum is multidisciplinary and project-oriented, with an emphasis on individualized learning contracts,[4] internships and community service.[5].

Nova functions through student-run, teacher-supported "committees" that decide school budgeting, the hiring and review process of staff, orientation of new students, and cultural affairs.

The grading system is competency-based and is credit/no credit with 80% mastery required for credit. Each student works with a coordinator to design a personal learning plan to graduate. Nova students have the option of creating "independent contracts" with their teachers to earn credit for extracurricular goals and activities they commit to. It is common for Nova students to co-teach classes with their teachers, generating curriculum and building facilitation skills in line with Nova's student-led philosophy. Like other Seattle Public Schools students, Nova students may participate in the Running Start program and take classes at a local community college.

In early summer of 2009, Nova was relocated from the Mann Building to the Meany Middle School site, where it was co-housed with the World School. Nova returned to the newly remodeled Mann Building in 2015.

Notable staff, alumni and former students
  • Reiko Aylesworth, actress best known from the TV series 24
  • Stephen Funk, the first U.S. military service member to publicly refuse to deploy to the US war in Iraq
  • Rose McGowan (also attended Roosevelt High School), actress and singer
  • Matthew Rotten, writer and comedian
  • Bonnie McKee, singer and songwriter
  • Stefan Gruber, animator and performance artist
  • Eve Rickert, author of More Than Two, polyamory activist
  • Theodore Cecil DeCelles, electronic musician and author

See also

References
  1. "School Report for the 2016–2017 School Year" (PDF). Seattle Public Schools. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  2. "School History - The Nova Project", http://www.novafolios.com/school-history
  3. Loveless, Douglas, Sullivan, Pamela, Dredger, Katie, Burns, Jim. Deconstructing the Education-Industrial Complex in the Digital Age, p. 16-17. https://books.google.com/books?id=O5vgDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA16
  4. Weinstock, Chuck, Learning Contracts: Facilitating Academic Change, p. 7. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED080107
  5. Nathan, Joe; Febey, Karen. Smaller, Safer, Saner, Successful Schools, p. 53-54. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED455680

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