MAST Academy
Encyclopedia
Maritime and Science Technology Academy, commonly referred to as MAST Academy, or MAST, is a public high school
in Miami, Florida
, on Virginia Key
. MAST Academy is a magnet school
under the governance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools
. The school's principal is Jane Garraux, appointed in August 2011. US News & World Report currently ranks MAST as the 66th best high school in the nation as of 2011.
The academic focus of MAST Academy is primarily maritime
studies. Students choose one of three major areas of study in which a traditional U.S.
high school curriculum
is infused with maritime-related subjects. These major areas of study are Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (OAS), Maritime Studies and Culture (MSC), and Marine Related Industries (MRI). Some special course offerings include: Marine Science, Oceanography, Solar Energy
, Environmental Science
, Swimming, and Water Safety.
MAST Academy is located on Virginia Key
, a barrier island between Miami
and Key Biscayne
, across the street from the Miami Seaquarium
and within walking distance from the University of Miami
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
, the Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
), and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (National Marine Fisheries Service).
In the 2009-2010 academic year, the school had an enrollment of 550 students and 42 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 14.9).
During the 1994-96 and 2006-07 school years, MAST Academy was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive.
It has a tradition of academic excellence, and has three times been ranked among Newsweek
s Top 100 High Schools. With a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio, MAST has been listed as one of "Miami-Dade's Best Schools".
and swimming. The men and women's Soccer Teams are also competitive.
MAST is very active in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl
Competition, having established a tradition of placing first in the region and a fifth place national showing in 2006. The Black History Brain Bowl team won the 2006 Regional Championships.
MAST is home to the first Coast Guard JROTC chapter in the country, but is now declining due to budget cuts.
The band of MAST Academy is the steel drum band directed by Vincent Hamilton. The steel drum band won their division in the Florida State High School Jazz Band Competition in 1999.
The school's mascot is a mako shark named Isurus, after retiring a Pelican named Pete.
MAST's robotics and engineering team MAST Academy Mecha Makos, founded in 2006, has competed in numerous competitions including Youth Fair, MATE, FIRST
, and most recently, FIUs Wall of Wind competition.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, on Virginia Key
Virginia Key
Virginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
. MAST Academy is a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
under the governance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
. The school's principal is Jane Garraux, appointed in August 2011. US News & World Report currently ranks MAST as the 66th best high school in the nation as of 2011.
The academic focus of MAST Academy is primarily maritime
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
studies. Students choose one of three major areas of study in which a traditional U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
high school curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
is infused with maritime-related subjects. These major areas of study are Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (OAS), Maritime Studies and Culture (MSC), and Marine Related Industries (MRI). Some special course offerings include: Marine Science, Oceanography, Solar Energy
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
, Environmental Science
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
, Swimming, and Water Safety.
MAST Academy is located on Virginia Key
Virginia Key
Virginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
, a barrier island between Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami...
, across the street from the Miami Seaquarium
Miami Seaquarium
The Miami Seaquarium is a oceanarium located on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States and is located near downtown Miami. It is the longest operating oceanarium in the United States. In addition to the marine mammals, the Miami Seaquarium also...
and within walking distance from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is a college and research institute for the study of oceanography and the atmospheric sciences within the University of Miami . It is located on a 16 acre campus on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida, USA...
, the Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory , a federal research laboratory, is part of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research , located in Miami, Florida...
), and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (National Marine Fisheries Service).
In the 2009-2010 academic year, the school had an enrollment of 550 students and 42 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis, for a student-teacher ratio of 14.9).
Awards and recognition
MAST Academy was one of six national finalists in the 2010 White House "Commencement Challenge." People from across the nation voted to determine which school would host President Barack Obama as commencement speaker.During the 1994-96 and 2006-07 school years, MAST Academy was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive.
It has a tradition of academic excellence, and has three times been ranked among Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
s Top 100 High Schools. With a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio, MAST has been listed as one of "Miami-Dade's Best Schools".
Demographics
The student body of MAST Academy is 48% Hispanic, 24% White, 17% Black, 5% Asian, and 6% other/multi-racial.Extracurricular activities
The main sports are water poloWater polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
and swimming. The men and women's Soccer Teams are also competitive.
MAST is very active in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl
National Ocean Sciences Bowl
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is a national, high-school science competition sponsored by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and managed by the which started in the 1970s. It uses a quiz-bowl format, with lockout buzzers and extended team challenge questions to test students on...
Competition, having established a tradition of placing first in the region and a fifth place national showing in 2006. The Black History Brain Bowl team won the 2006 Regional Championships.
MAST is home to the first Coast Guard JROTC chapter in the country, but is now declining due to budget cuts.
The band of MAST Academy is the steel drum band directed by Vincent Hamilton. The steel drum band won their division in the Florida State High School Jazz Band Competition in 1999.
The school's mascot is a mako shark named Isurus, after retiring a Pelican named Pete.
MAST's robotics and engineering team MAST Academy Mecha Makos, founded in 2006, has competed in numerous competitions including Youth Fair, MATE, FIRST
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
, and most recently, FIUs Wall of Wind competition.
Publications
The Beacon, MAST's student-run newspaper, and the yearbook, Mako Fuka, have received Gold Medals from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.External links
- MAST Academy
- M-DCPS School Information - MAST Academy
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Maritime & Science Technology Academy, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...