Transitioning to high school is a challenging experience for teens as they navigate to young adulthood.  Research shows that freshman-year immersion in a concentrated learning environment contributes to better performance including grades, graduation rates and college/work readiness. 

In 2019, the JS Morton HSD opened a Freshman Academy (FA) at Morton West High School, one of two campuses that serve a combined enrollment of 7,400 students. The FA combines renovated learning space from the existing 1950s-era building with a spacious two-story addition. 

Design of the 80,000 sf FA was the cornerstone of a larger facilities improvement initiative. The school’s main entry was relocated from an obscure to more prominent location adjacent to the FA.  New office /meeting spaces for administrative staff and student services are consolidated and adjacent to the secure main entry, improving safety and the experience for students and visitors.    

Students reach the FA through the main entry and interior glass doors that open into a Great Room, the connecting space between the larger school and the new addition. With skylights and north-facing clerestory windows capturing natural light for interior classrooms, the Great Room is also a multi-functional space with a Learning Staircase designed for collaborative activities, presentations, and small assemblies.

The FA serves 1,080 students organized in 8 teams. Each team learns in general education classrooms, group activity rooms and extended learning spaces.  The teams share four fully-equipped STEM labs.  Classrooms are equipped with smart boards and furniture that can be flexibly arranged for collaborative learning activities.  Several classrooms have operable partitions to accommodate team teaching.

Resource rooms for elective subjects are flexible spaces that can be easily configured.  The Academy’s corridors are intentionally wide which facilitates movement and provides additional group learning space.  The second-floor dining hall is a destination space for positive socializing and can also be used for presentations and other large group activities.

The FA is an environment in which learning and healthy development is paramount. Every space is designed to foster a culture of inclusivity in which students feel safe and respected and teachers are empowered to meet their needs.