Prospect Hill Academy Charter School (PHA) is a tuition-free, college preparatory charter public school serving grades PreK - 12 in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81,045 people. With an area o ...

and

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...

. The school was founded in 1996. PHA serves more than 1,100 students from diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. 87% are people of color, nearly two-thirds are low-income, and approximately half come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. Since 2009, PHA has consistently placed in the top 7% of all U.S. high schools per ''U.S. News & World Report''.

Campuses

Prospect Hill Academy is located on three campuses in

and

: # The ''Early Childhood Campus'', serving grades PreK-3, is located at 15 Webster Avenue, Somerville, in

Union Square (Somerville) Union Square is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of Somerville, Massachusetts. It is centered on Union Square proper, which is located at the intersection of Washington Street, Webster Avenue, and Somerville Avenue. The name "Union Squa ...

. # The ''Upper Elementary Campus'', serving grades 4-6, is located at 17 Franklin Street, in East Somerville. # The ''Upper School Campus'', serving grades 7-12, is located at 50-54 Essex Street, Cambridge, near

Central Square (Cambridge) Central Square is an area in Cambridge, Massachusetts centered on the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Prospect Street and Western Avenue. , formed by the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Columbia Street, Sidney Street and Main Street, is also ...

. Grades 7-8 (Middle School Campus) is at 50 Essex and 9-12 (High School & Collegiate Institute Campus) is at 54 Essex.

Curriculum

Collegiate Institute Curriculum

As the name implies, Collegiate Institute students undertake a college preparatory curriculum. English classes focus on American literature and identity in the 11th grade, then short stories, and the social contract in the 12th grade, with a required senior thesis. Prospect Hill's science offerings include physics. Electives include AP English, AP Spanish Language, AP United States History, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, and Anatomy and Physiology. Additional courses are offered in Spanish, Computer Science, and the Fine and Performing arts.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Prospect Hill Academy is a member of the

Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization The Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization is a league formed to give Charter School student athletes in Massachusetts, USA, the opportunity to compete in interscholastic sports. The mission of the Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ...

. Sports offerings include soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, cheerleading, cross-country running, and track.

Clubs and publications

High School clubs have included the Art Club, Chess Club, EPICS, Gay Straight Alliance, Junior State of America, Knitting, Sign Language, Video Production, and the Yearbook as well as athletic clubs such as Dance club, Boys Fitness, and Girls Fitness. In the Fall of 2012 clubs included: Fundamentals of Art, Dance Club, 9th Grade Choir, HAIRitage, Hip Hop 101, Self Defense, Pumped Up Kicks, and Drum Line Upper Elementary clubs include: the drama club, the Improv Olympics club, the newspaper club, the dance club, the ski and snowboard club, the flag football club, and the basketball club.

References

External links

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About Massachusetts Charter SchoolsU.S. News & World Report Ranking
{{authority control Schools in Somerville, Massachusetts Educational institutions established in 1996 Charter middle schools in Massachusetts Public elementary schools in Massachusetts Charter K-12 schools in the United States Schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts Charter high schools in Massachusetts 1996 establishments in Massachusetts