We had a wonderful time celebrating the new Henry Longfellow Career Exploration Academy building at its dedication ceremony in early April. A true example of collaboration in action, the middle school CTE project is designed to inspire exploration and support students as they begin discovering future career pathways.
Serving sixth through eighth grade students, the application-based magnet campus combines academics with hands-on learning in pathways that include Business, Law and Justice, Culinary Arts, Arts and A/V Technology, Project Lead the Way, and Career and College Readiness. Built as a replacement campus on the same urban site, the project was shaped by strong community engagement and a carefully planned phasing strategy that allowed the existing school to remain in session during construction.
The new campus features a mix of three-story, two-story, and single-story components to support program adjacencies and site constraints, along with outdoor learning environments, a tornado shelter and gymnasium, and a large media center and maker space that serves as the heart of the building. Designed to meet CHPS standards, the school connects sustainability, learning, and community through thoughtful design at every scale.
