Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy

Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy (sometimes referred to as SciTech) is a public school in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It currently serves grades 6-12 in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. SciTech's first graduating class of seniors was 2013. Its building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 30, 1986.[2][4]

Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Location
107 Thackeray Street

Pittsburgh
,
Pennsylvania
15213

United States
Information
TypePublic - Magnet
MottoDream. Discover. Design.
Established2009
School districtPittsburgh Public Schools
PrincipalMs. Angelique Benjamin (2023-present)
Staff66
Grades6–12
Enrollment616[1] (as of October 1, 2022)
Color(s)White and blue
MascotSci-Tech Thundersharks
NewspaperThe Byte (retired), The Sextant (Future)
AffiliationOSU (Obama, SciTech, U-Prep) Sports
WebsitePittsburgh Science and Technology
Henry Clay Frick Training School for Teachers
View from S Bouquet Street
Coordinates40°26′36″N 79°57′29″W
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1927
ArchitectIngham & Boyd
Architectural styleClassical Revival
MPSPittsburgh Public Schools TR
NRHP reference No.86002668[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPSeptember 30, 1986
Designated PHLF2002[3]

History

Originally the building served as the home for the Henry Clay Frick Training School for Teachers, founded by Henry Clay Frick in 1927, which served a training school for teachers.[5] In 1983 it became a middle school housed at Dilworth School in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of East Liberty. Pittsburgh Frick 6–8 Middle School moved to the building in 1986 and was temporarily located at Reizenstein which in 2012 was renamed the Barack Obama Academy of International Studies 6-8. and has since been demolished.[6] The Barack Obama Academy of International Studies 6-12 is now located in the former Peabody High School building in East Liberty. In June 2009, staff working on The Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy received possession of the Frick International Studies Academy building. SciTech officially opened to students in September 2009 after a pilot project by graduate students at Carnegie Mellon Heinz College.[7][8]

Operating schedule

Pittsburgh SciTech offers a block-schedule of classes; this structure allows students 80-minute classes.[9] Field trips to local attractions in the Oakland area are plentiful and make use of local libraries, museums, universities, and seasonal attractions. Additionally, students are given 42 minutes a day to entertain themselves in a list of activities which are not school related, this is called Activity Period.[10] This practice was suspended for the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year due to COVID-19, but was later reinstated.[9][11]

Concentrations

Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy offers four fields of science for students to focus on. These fields, named "Concentrations", are split into the following categories:

  • Computers and connections
  • Body and behavior
  • Form and function
  • Environment and energy

These sub-categories cover a wide range of careers and offer early experience in classes they would not study otherwise. Students pick their concentration at the end of their Ninth-grade year. The pickings are chosen in a weighted lottery, biased on grades, behavior, and attendance.[12]

Computers and connections

The Computers and Connections concentration focuses on teaching students computational thinking, breaking hard problems up into easier steps.

Body and behavior

In the body and behavior concentration, students focus on aspects of health and science. Students are given accelerated teaching about different professions and health careers.

Form and function

Form and Function focuses on engineering and the various aspects of it.

Environment and energy

Environment and Energy instructs students about Environment and Energy in the form of firsthand activities in Panther Hollow creek and elsewhere and learning about the aspects of each.

Enrollment

As of 2022:[13]

Group Number of students Percent
All 616 100%
Caucasian 296 48%
African American 234 37.9%
Asian 21 3.4%
Hispanic 19 3.08%
Multiracial 44 7.14%
American Indian <5 <1%
Pacific Islander <5 <1%
Male 396 64%
Female 220 36%

References
  1. "Sci-Tech Enrollment". Discover PPS. Pittsburgh Public Schools. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 13 March 2009.
  3. Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009 (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  4. "Pennsylvania Historic Resource Survey Form: Frick Middle School" (PDF). April 1986. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  5. "New Teacher Being Evaluated at Frick School | Historic Pittsburgh". historicpittsburgh.org. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  6. "The Reizenstein Family". Rauh Jewish Archives. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  7. "Pittsburgh Science and Technology". Archived from the original on 29 October 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
  8. "Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy - Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College". Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  9. "SciTech Bell Schedule". Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  10. "Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy Grades 6-12 Bell Schedules" (PDF). Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  11. "Activities". Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  12. "Academics". Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  13. "Discover PPS". www.discoverpps.org. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
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