Partnerships in Academic Communities

Partnerships in Academic Communities (PAC) is the only school program in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district that works with public schools along with a university and provides a scholarship as a reward for passing students enrolled in the program.

General information

The program is a partnership between three middle school (Cutler Ridge, Mays, and Richmond), one high school (Miami Southridge), and one university (Florida International University). The subjects taught are math, science, and computer skills where students enjoy an environment of up to 20 children. The students also have available a morning session at the high school where students are allowed to complete their homework and get help from their teachers.

Enrollment

PAC awards its scholarships by having a certain grade, a B (80% or 2.50 GPA), in all the classes in the program and having all other state requirements. Students are chosen to be tested in the summer after their sixth grade year. They voluntarily go to Miami Southridge Senior High School, the high school in which PAC works with. In several rooms, the students are taught valuable skills in math and science throughout a four week term. These students are then tested on the subjects and how they use the various skills acquired. Twenty students are chosen and join the others at PAC at the beginning of their seventh grade year.

A Day at PAC

Students at PAC are educated in several rooms of the Education Building (ZEB) near one of the main entrances of Florida International University (FIU). Students usually wake up early in the morning, before the sun rises. After they are ready, they go to a designated bus stop and take the bus to the university. The buses usually arrive around 7:00 AM. The students take charge in talking with one another, sleep, or play catch-up on any homework they could not finish. At 7:30, the students go to their rooms and teachers begin their lessons. at 9:00, students switch rooms to go to their second class. By 10:00, students are on another bus to their home school where they continue their studies as a normal student.

Activities

Several times every school year, students are rewarded with activities and trips to several places, or even on the school campus. At the end of every year, the 7th-9th graders go on a small trip to a theme park nearby. While the 10th-12th graders go to a location that the seniors choose. Students are also given other activities throughout the school year as well. Field days are made at least once per year to motivate them when there are major tests like FCAT or when there is an early release at the high school.

Coming soon... a list of past activities