Where can I find a high school with a great magnet program in Guilford County?

If you are unsatisfied with your district school, looking for a personalized education, or searching for interesting class opportunities outside of graduation requirements, you may want to consider sending your high schooler to Southern Guilford High of Guilford County. Located on the corner of Drake and Wall road right outside of the city limits of Greensboro, Southern Guilford is able to offer a unique learning environment to its students.

Southern Guilford offers North Carolina's Core Curriculum to all of its students, as well as many vocational classes such as Animal Science or Auto-Tech. The school is on the smaller end of the spectrum in terms of size with only 1220 students. This smaller environment allows the faculty to provide individual attention to students and personalize the student's education in a way that will most contribute to their academic success. The school was ranked as one of the nations best high schools by U.S. News and World Report in 2013. Graduates of Southern Guilford have gone on to higher learning institutions including Princeton, Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, UNCG, UNCW,  NC State, Campbell, and many others.

Perhaps what distinguishes Southern Guilford the most from other schools of Guilford County is its magnet program. Their magnet program is named "The Academy at Southern Guilford," as students have the option of choosing between one of three concentrations: Health Sciences, Agriculture, and Education. The Health Sciences program aims to train students in the basics of the medical profession, with students interning in a nursing home their senior year. Many students graduate from the Health Sciences program as Certified Nursing Assistants, a license that is usually gained by completing an exam and a 12 week program at a college or nurses training institution. The Agriculture program offers hands-on learning opportunities, as the students are responsible for maintaining the school's large greenhouses and caring for the school's farm animals, including goats and chickens. Everyone in the agriculture program is required to join the FFA, a national organization dedicated to agriculture, the development of career goals, and the acquisition of public speaking skills. Finally, the Education Academy works to equip students with the skills to be successful in a college education program, and is a great way for students to try out the educational field before deciding on a major. Seniors in the Education Academy are given the opportunity to student-teach in the elementary and middle schools nearby, and juniors also work as teacher assistants in those same schools.

Students must apply to the Academy in the winter of their 8th grade year and will be notified of their acceptance by March of 2015. In order to complete their degree within the Academy, students must take at least one class per semester within their concentration. In addition to completing their selected course of study, students can earn certificates in Biomedical Technology, Nursing Fundamentals, Pharmacy Technology, and Sports Medicine. Questions about the Academy should be emailed to the Academy Director Anita Winfree at winfrea@gcsnc.com.

In addition to the academy, the school also offers many AP classes, sports teams, clubs, leadership development organizations, service-learning diplomas, and Special Education programs to the students. If you are interested in becoming a member of The Southern Guilford Storm community, contact 336-674-4250 to schedule a tour.

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