The Academy of Science program was established in 2005 as a magnet program of science and technology for Loudoun County students. The purpose of the Academy is to provide advanced academic math and science courses for students interested in STEM. These courses include Advanced Placement courses, as well as classes devoted purely towards scientific research.
Admissions
The admissions process is extraordinarily competitive for 8th graders who wish to attend the Academies of Loudoun. As the AOS science, math, and research curriculum has gained popularity over the years, the number of applicants has soared. Prior to 2018, 68 students would enroll each year which resulted in an acceptance rate of approximately 7%, making admission highly competitive. Once the Academy became part of the Academies of Loudoun building, additional classroom space and teaching faculty allowed 120 9th graders to enroll each year.
All students who attend the Academies of Loudoun every other school day where they take courses in math, science, and research. On alternating days, Academy students attend their home school, where they take courses in English, Social Studies, and other electives. The Loudoun County High Schools try to coordinate their schedules to allow Academy students to take extra curricular classes at the home school, but scheduling conflicts often arise. Students who attend the Academies of Loudoun are concurrently enrolled in both their home school and the Academies of Loudoun. Academy students who are on athletic teams play for their home schools and their respective conferences.
Research
Most of the Academy of Science curriculum is based on a junior/senior year research project. After a topic is chosen and approved, students work with a large spectrum of different lab devices and their mentor to further develop this research project. Students also are given the option to apply for a collaboration project with students of Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore, or Daegu Science High School in South Korea. Participants in this program are then presented the opportunity to travel to Singapore/Korea for a research competition. In past years, students have developed numerous research projects that have been exceptionally successful—some of these had research papers were published, while others went on to place in many large science competitions such as the Siemens WestinghouseScience and Technology Competition, the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and the Intel ISEF competition.
Expansion
The Academy of Science was originally at Dominion High School in Sterling. In the summer of 2018, the program became part of the Academies of Loudoun at 42075 Loudoun Academy Drive, Leesburg. The principal of the Academies of Loudoun is Tinell Priddy, and the director of the Academy of Science is Jennifer Chang. The mission of the Academies of Loudoun is to empower students to explore, research, collaborate, and innovate, and to make meaningful contributions to the world in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics."
