Magnet Schools

Magnet Schools

The phrase, A Private University with a Public Purpose,” appropriately describes the University’s educational covenant with the city for which it is named. The two magnet schools located on campus are representative of the University’s commitment to support educational progress in the Hartford region, and diverse programs within the University offer opportunities to expand horizons for many young people in the Greater Hartford area.

The University of Hartford Magnet School is an interdistrict elementary school of up to 400 students, sponsored by the Capitol Region Education Council, in which students from preschool through grade 5 are selected by lottery from more than 20 participating schoool districts. Designed on Harvard Professor Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences—that is, that each student learns based on one of eight identifiable types of intelligence—the curriculum is supported by a teacher-to-student ratio of 14 to 1 and benefits from many resources on the University of Hartford campus.

The University of Hartford Magnet School also serves as a practicum opportunity for the teacher training, health professions, and nursing programs of the University; magnet school student groups are frequent visitors to departments across campus as well. An on-site, licensed wellness center provides confidential physical and mental-health services to the students. An Early Childhood Learning Center and an extended-day program complete the school’s offerings.

University High School of Science and Engineering is modeled on the Early College system, in which high expectations help students to bridge the high school–to–college experience. In this partnership between the University of Hartford and the Hartford school system, every class is offered on an honors level, readying qualified students to earn college credits by taking courses from the University of Hartford and other participating institutions while still in high school. The curriculum focuses on mathematics, science, technology, and engineering, with physics, engineering, and two math courses required during the first year. Its semester schedule is similar to that of the University, although students are enrolled in seven courses each semester. This stimulating academic program has produced a nationally competitive FIRST Robotics Team and is complemented by many individual-interest clubs and sports programs.

The high school’s $42 million building on the main University of Hartford campus features state-of-the-art equipment intended to enhance its learning environment and complement its social diversity experience. Graduating classes from University High School have produced a 95 percent or better rate of acceptance to colleges and universities. The high school was a recipient of one of the highly prestigious Magnet School of America Awards in 2012 and was listed as one of the top 100 high schools in America by U.S. News & World Report in 2011.