Following in the highly successful Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy magnet model, today 100 more high schools students in Miami-Dade County have access to the rigorous curriculum at MAST@FIU.
This morning FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg and Miami-Dade County Public Schools(M-DCPS) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho opened MAST@FIU located at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami Beach. M-DCPS School Board Vice Chair Martin Karp and senior leaders of the two institutions attended the event.
MAST@FIU is the only four-year high school on a university campus in Miami-Dade County.
“The goal is to combine the best of our public schools and our public university and offer it to some of our brightest students,” said Rosenberg. “At FIU, we graduate more minority students with science, technology, math and engineering degrees than any other university in the country. This is another way to expose great students to the university environment and to build our pipeline of students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.”
MAST@FIU emphasizes the sciences and leverages leading FIU faculty in the School of Environment, Arts and Society, communication and research to enrich the students’ learning experience. This partnership supports the state objectives to have more highly-qualified STEM graduates in Florida.
“MAST@FIU responds to an increasing demand for more focused math and science instruction at the high school level,” said M-DCPS Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “This partnership serves us well because our students have access to FIU faculty who are leading experts in a variety of fields.”
The inaugural class is comprised of 9th graders who attend classes on the FIU campus. A dedicated facility on the campus is being planned, the school is expected to add one grade level every year for the next three years. MAST@FIU is a fully digital; upon arrival, students received a laptop for schoolwork. Students will also have access to Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment class opportunities. The school serves the Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles, North Miami, North Miami Beach and Aventura areas.
[…] MAST@FIU opens its doors FIU News MIAMI (Aug. 19, 2013) – Following in the highly successful Maritime and Science Technology (MAST) Academy magnet model, today 100 more high schools students in Miami-Dade County have access to the rigorous curriculum at MAST@FIU. […]
Sounds too good to be true. Generally that is the case. Now, if Mr. Carvalho could figure out how to clone John Ruppel, Craig Kirk, Peggy Haun, Joe Zawodny, Lavetta Ulman, Karen Sutton, Nairy Reboredo and several others, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING. What Carvalho and Co seem to forget is the fact that the teachers, make the school, not the name, location and any other “fluff” that goes with the name. You could call MDC “Harvard of Kendall Drive”, but it still functions as a Junior College – exactly what it started out to be. No, I’m not at all impressed with the marketing of the school’s name. There will never be another MAST – not like before.
Congratulations! As an Alumni Class of ’05, I have been following FIU’s evolution and I am very proud of all its accomplishments. This news of the MAST Academy partnership is very exciting since our goal is to place our older child in this program in a couple of years. I would love to see this program implemented at the University Park Campus as an outreach program for those of us who live closer to the main campus. Keep up the good work President Rosenberg and Superintendent Carvalho!!
Did you actually graduate? I am shocked at your support. Are you unaware of the current construction at MAST in the parking lot? The buildings aren’t done, but the football field is nicely manicured, has dazzling lights, and score displays. It was purchased by rich and entitled Key Biscayne residents and smarmy politicians failed to plan for a resident school as part of their infrastructure when they erected those giant condos. I guess they assumed people don’t reproduce either. As a result, we now have MAST Academy (the original), MAST Academy at Key Biscayne (middle/highschool supposedly unaffiliated with MAST original and just as ordinary as any other DCPS school), and now they’ve gone on to prop up FIU with MAST’s good name. I was there at the ground level back in 1991 watching them renovate Planet Ocean while we started class in the auditorium of a neighborhood school for two weeks with the best teachers in DCPS who were passionate their students, subject areas, and worked long hours to work one-on-one when it was necessary. They went beyond the call of duty and I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn under their tutelage. You will never find a cohesive group like Joe Zawodny, Karen Sutton, John Ruppel, Karen Devonshire, Peggy Haun, and the many others who took a risk with Linda Eads, the founder and creator of MAST Academy. Never will I recognize any other school with the MAST title unless it is an affiliation offered by MAST to another organization who has the same mission, goals, passion, and willingness to sacrifice like the people I mentioned above. Just like my fellow classmates, those teachers were hand-picked and vetted, selected for their excellence and expertise, and desire to make something more than just a public school. From the Principal to the janitors, we loved all of them and I can only hope that 20 years later we have made them proud by becoming something worthwhile. I am sure I am not alone when I say that just like the Goonies, MAST Academy will never give up!
MAST AT FIU
I have seen the name of MAST also affiliated with even a middle school that just changed its names and required higher grades from the students to remain there. I was so confused when I saw it and thought it was a mistake, but they claimed it was legit. I think it would be nice if they allowed students to have access to the FIU campus for a class that they don’t offer at MAST. But a high school inside a university campus? I don’t get it. I wonder what makes this program a MAST program? Can they replicate a MAST experience?
I have only visited MAST on Key Biscayne and we offer Dual Enrollment Intro to Engineering and Engineering Drawing there. Thank you Peggy Haun! I also know the team, Ms. DiazRubio comes to mind, at Jose Marti MAST. Both schools have impressed me. I see there is some consternation on diluting the MAST name, but on the other hand , why not aspire to be a ” MAST Academy”. Historically it has stood for a good solid education and something extra special.