The Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies, colloquially known as NEAAAT, is indeed a pretty “NEAAAT” initiative. Located on the campus of Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), NEAAAT is, according to the website, a “world-class, innovative STEM school that will inspire and prepare students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to pursue the high-demand jobs and careers of the future.” This STEM school, also a public charter, is designed as a statewide model of project-based learning that will graduate students with up to two years of college credit along with their high school diploma.

As I drove onto the ECSU campus, I felt like a college freshman all over again. I got lost trying to find the building. I was nervous from not knowing what to expect. But my anxiety disappeared as soon as Andrew Harris, the school’s CEO and principal, greeted me with a smile.

Locating the Culture

NEAAAT is housed on the third floor of ECSU’s Gilchrist Education and Psychology Complex-not a typical location for a secondary school. Needless to say, as I toured NEAAAT’s space, the technology and modern furniture amazed me; multiple SMART boards, a video teleconferencing system, individual Wi-Fi ports in each classroom, overhead projectors connected to writable podium computers, and comfortable rolling office chairs and desks for flexible workspaces. In short, NEAAAT has a learning environment designed with movement and engagement in mind.

With all of this state-of-the-art technology, it’s no shock NEAAAT students are tech savvy. Each student has a touch-screen Dell Chromebook for “paperless” assignments, guided and independent research, and “sandbox” learning by playing with computer code. One group built a site to help an injured goose living at a pond across from the Gilchrist building. NEAAAT’s parent and family community add to the technology resources by donating old computers. The student Tech Team uses the equipment to explore Linux operating systems. Even the school’s newspaper, the NEAAAT Times, is all digital. (I was lucky enough to be interviewed by student Hannah Umphlett on my favorite failure for the inaugural “Failure: Reframed” issue.)

What caught my eye during my first visit were the gorgeous paintings decorating the walls. The large abstract acrylics were donated by local artist Margie Sawyer. They reminded me of pictures hung in a family room and gave me a sense of home. To add to the homey feel, students upcycled material into geometric cushions as part of a combination math-English PBL unit. For example, one group created a dodecahedron from an old sheet. Another repurposed a ripped dog bed into a paw-shaped bed for Atlanta, a student’s service dog and NEAAAT’s newly elected spokes-pet.

NEAAAT’s Interdisciplinary Learning

In addition to creating a safe, inviting atmosphere, NEAAAT prioritizes innovation. The first week of school kicked off with a bang! Quite literally, too. Students participated in an introduction to project-based learning that included designing, building, and launching rockets.

As the school year progresses, the school and staff will take an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning. This approach will bring students an awareness of the meaningful connections that exist among the various disciplines. Thus far, students participated in an interdisciplinary unit on the short story The Most Dangerous Game, the importance of rules and the evolution of society from Paleolithic to Neolithic. Students participated in games like “Anarchy: No Rules” and “Run Reinsford, Run!” The best part, according to the students, was a live-action role play with four groups acting as predators, prey, hunters and gatherers. This two-day outdoor simulation was a joint effort between the English, wellness and world history classes.

Knowing this is just the beginning of innovation in teaching and learning, I drove away excited, inspired, and eager to continue to work with NEAAAT!