Las Cruces Academy

Our primary program is full-day education for gifted and advanced students, who are underserved in most schools nationwide. We offer them a supportive, challenging academic environment in small classes (15 or fewer students), emphasizing math, science, and languages – students learn English, Spanish, and Chinese every day – while incorporating social studies, art, and music. The goal is to fully develop their talents, to benefit themselves and their community as leaders in diverse fields, and to benefit local businesses in recruiting and retaining employees who wish their children to be in academically rich schools. Our students come from widely diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. In our second full year of operation, 2010-11, we served 21 students in grades K-5; we are adding 1 grade per year toward our goal of 350 pre-K to 12 students. Students benefit from visits to cultural resources weekly and from guest lectures on science and world cultures, as well as hands-on demonstrations.

Our other program - LCA Outreach - is required by our Articles of Incorporation. Currently in development, it exists to offer educational resources to public schools and the general public via sessions outside of our school and establishment of a science museum to be run partly by LCA students. At present these goals are served by our website, by occasional free public lectures, and a testbed program of reading and science sessions which is planned to go public within the summer of 2011.