Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics and Science

Greater Hartford Academy Of Mathematics And Science

Coordinates: 41°45′02″N 72°41′01″W / 41.7506°N 72.6836°W / 41.7506; -72.6836

The Academy of Aerospace and Engineering is a regional high school located at The Learning Corridor in Hartford, Connecticut. The school's half-day program operates as Greater Hartford Academy of Mathematics And Science. It also has a partnering middle school, located on the Berkin Campus, at Bloomfield, CT. It is run by the Capital Region Education Council (CREC), one of 6 Regional Educational Service Centers (RESC) in Connecticut. The Learning Corridor is a block adjacent to and provided by Trinity College for the construction of several magnet schools. Trinity College is involved in some of the projects with GHAMAS due to their proximity, such as the Brain Bee, a neuroscience competition. Hartford Hospital is also nearby, and is involved in school activities as well.

AAE was built as GHAMAS in 1999. Labs at the Academy include the Robotics, Physics, Earth Science, Photonics, Biology, Cell Culture, Greenhouse & Potting, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Special Instrumentation, and Computer Science Labs. There are also several smaller student laboratories which are used by students to conduct independent research. GHAMAS currently runs a Biodiesel Project under a grant from Toshiba Corporation, in which its students are being given an opportunity to do real research in creating biodiesel fuel from algae. In addition, once a month, a speaker from industry or academia comes to lecture morning students (grades 9 and 10) about the field that they work in and educate them to possible careers in that field.

AAE has historically been an exclusively half-day program operating as GHAMAS, and now currently has a full-day program operating as AAE. Since the fall of 2011, the school holds 9-12 grade half-day, and 6-12 grade full-day students. Ninth and tenth grade students take three foundation math (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, or higher) and science (Physics, Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry) courses in the morning, followed by humanities and other classes at their sending district's high school or with the full-day program. Half-day juniors and seniors take these humanities at their home schools during the morning and join the AAE juniors and seniors for up to four advanced elective courses in the afternoon, such as Molecular and Cellular Biology, Multivariable Calculus, Photonics, or Astronomy I: The Cosmos, along with Advanced Placement curricula.

AAE is a member of the NCSSSMST. This is an organization of secondary schools that promote Mathematics, Science, and Technology schools. Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science has recently been involved as an NASA Explorer School. It is one of only three such schools in Connecticut. The director of the high school Academies is Paul Brenton, and the director of the middle school Academy is Delores M. Bolton.