Danbury High School, the largest high school in Connecticut, is undergoing a transformation designed to tackle overcrowding, declining graduation rates, and rising absenteeism. The initiative, known as the Academies of Danbury High School, blends traditional academics with career-based learning to help students thrive in high school and beyond.

Superintendent Dr. Kara Casimiro says the inspiration came from the success already visible in career and technical education classrooms at the Main Campus of the high school. The model increases student engagement through project- and content-based learning.

She adds, “Wherever kids are working with things and they’re solving real problems, that’s where the engagement factor goes up.”

The Academies of Danbury High School is a redesign of the traditional high school experience, structured around career-focused learning within a personalized academy framework. Students choose from a series of defined pathways—each centered on specific industries or disciplines—that combine rigorous academics with hands-on, real-world instruction. Current academies include Biomedical, Applied Engineering, Art, Architecture & Civil Engineering, Graphic & Digital Design, Investment & Finance, and Education & Human Development. Within each of these academies, there are more pathways through which students can customize their learning. For example, students in the Biomedical academy can decide on becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA) or an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Through these pathways, students engage in project-based learning, explore potential careers, and gain early exposure to professional practices—all while earning academic credits, certifications, and developing critical employability skills.

Melissa Nadeau, K-12 STEM coordinator, explains that seniors in the Green Academy and Sustainable Living will have the opportunity for an internship that will deepen their understanding of water treatment and environmental systems. About eight students are expected to take part in these internships each year.

Casimiro notes that such partnerships may also lead to additional resources: “In workforce development, which is beneficial for students and employers, the school district may be able to tap into new funding with industry partners for support.”

The Main Campus, located at 43 Clapboard Ridge Road, serves over 3,600 students in grades 9–12. With the opening of the DHS West campus, about 1,400 students will shift to the new facility, easing the strain on crowded classrooms.

Casimiro asserts: “You cannot do the things that we’re talking about here at Danbury High School with that level of crowding. So we’re going to be able to thin all of our kids out. Fourteen hundred kids are going to come over here (to DHS West). There’s going to be more room at Danbury High School for us to be able to do equal programming on that campus as well.”

According to the Danbury Public School’s Portrait of a Graduate, The Academies of Danbury High School aims to develop students who are collaborators, innovators, communicators, advocates, and lifelong learners. With career pathways spanning healthcare, business, STEM, culinary arts, justice, and law, and more, the Academies model is designed to prepare students for both college and the workforce.

For more information about the Academies of Danbury High School, visit www.dhs.danbury.k12.ct.us

 This article was written in part by Anne Mead and Grace Molina, with quotes taken from the Danbury News-Times.

Anne E. Mead, Ed. D. is the director of Family, School, and Community Partnerships for Danbury Public Schools. She can be reached at 203-830-6508 or by email at meadan@danburyu.k12.ct.us.