Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy
Location
107 Thackeray Street Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15213 United States
Information
Type	Public - Magnet
Motto	Dream. Discover. Design.
Established	2009
School district	Pittsburgh Public Schools
Staff	66
Grades	6–12
Enrollment	616 (as of October 1, 2022)
Color(s)	White and blue
Mascot	Sci-Tech Thundersharks
Newspaper	The Byte (retired), The Sextant (Future)
Affiliation	USO (U-Prep, SciTech, Obama) Sports
Website	Pittsburgh Science and Technology
Henry Clay Frick Training School for Teachers
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
View from S Bouquet Street
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1927
Architect	Ingham & Boyd
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Pittsburgh Public Schools TR
NRHP reference No.	86002668
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 30, 1986

Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy (often called SciTech) is a public school in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It helps students in grades 6 through 12 learn about science and technology. The school's first group of seniors graduated in 2013. The building itself is a historic landmark, added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 30, 1986.

History of SciTech Academy

The building where SciTech is located was originally built in 1927. It was first known as the Henry Clay Frick Training School for Teachers. This school helped train new teachers.

Over the years, the building was used by different schools. SciTech officially opened its doors to students in September 2009. This happened after a special project by students from Carnegie Mellon Heinz College.

How Classes Work

Pittsburgh SciTech uses a "block schedule" for classes. This means that classes are longer, usually about 80 minutes each. This gives students more time to dive deep into their subjects.

Students at SciTech often go on field trips. They visit local libraries, museums, and universities in the Oakland area. These trips help them learn outside the classroom.

The school also has an "Activity Period" each day. During this time, students can choose from different activities that are not part of their regular classes. This period was paused for a while during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since been brought back.

Science Focus Areas

SciTech lets students choose a special area of science to focus on. These areas are called "Concentrations." There are four main concentrations:

• Computers and connections
• Body and behavior
• Form and function
• Environment and energy

These concentrations help students explore different careers in science. They get early experience in subjects they might not study in other schools. Students pick their concentration at the end of their ninth-grade year. The school uses a system that considers grades, behavior, and attendance to help decide.

Computers and Connections

The Computers and Connections concentration teaches students how to think like a computer scientist. They learn to break down big problems into smaller, easier steps.

Body and Behavior

In the Body and Behavior concentration, students learn about health and science related to the human body. They get special lessons about different jobs in health care.

Form and Function

Form and Function focuses on engineering. Students learn about how things are designed and built.

Environment and Energy

The Environment and Energy concentration teaches students about the natural world and different types of energy. They often do hands-on activities, like exploring Panther Hollow creek.

Student Enrollment

Here is a look at the student population at SciTech as of October 1, 2022: