(St. Louis, MO) – The Board of Directors of Confluence Academy has announced that it will be locating its high school downtown St. Louis. The high school – Confluence Preparatory Academy – will be located adjacent to the St. Louis Public Library at 310 North 15th Street. Confluence Prep will lease 120,000 square feet over three floors. Currently, $7 million worth of renovations are being completed to the former TWA Reservation Center, now owned by the Library. “The new location will include a variety of learning spaces, such as an interior courtyard, an executive-style seminar center, and technology enriched classrooms – not to mention the unique advantages of being next door to the national award winning St. Louis Public Library,” says Craig Glover, Confluence’s Board Chairman.
Confluence Preparatory Academy features a rigorous research-based college preparatory curriculum that focuses on math, science, English, Spanish, social studies and character development. Every classroom will have a SMART board and laptops for students to utilize. Along with its academics, the college preparatory high school focuses on eight core values – wisdom, justice, courage, compassion, hope, respect, responsibility and integrity. “Our goal is not only to prepare students for admission to a four-year college or university, but also to teach them respect, and to motivate them to become self-directed lifelong learners,” says John Diehl, Confluence Prep’s principal.
The new downtown high school offers advanced placement and honors courses, as well as college field trips and college immersion opportunities throughout the students’ four years at Confluence. These on-going college visits permit students to experience firsthand what college is like, and how to prepare for college academically and financially. The college prep high school also offers a sports program that includes football, cross-country, basketball and track. After-school programs include cheerleading, yearbook, robotics, newspaper, debate and student government.
Confluence Academy is one of the top performing charter schools in the city. Begun in 2003, Confluence is managed by EdisonLearning, the nation’s leading public school partner. It is sponsored by Missouri University of Science and Technology and serves more than 2700 students on its campuses in the South City, Walnut Park and Old North St Louis neighborhoods of St. Louis. Confluence expects that its new downtown high school campus will draw students from throughout the City of St. Louis.
Since its establishment in 2008, Confluence Prep has been located at Confluence’s South City campus at 3112 Meramec. The new central location in downtown St. Louis will provide more space for students and learning. Confluence Prep is now enrolling students for 9th and 10th grades. Tuition is free and transportation is provided. The school will add a grade in each of the next two years and plans to eventually serve 900 students. For more information, call 314-588-8487.