Times Squared Academy ~ Overview

Overview of Times² Academy

Heralded as one of the most innovative after-school math, science, technology, and engineering, enrichment programs in the nation, Times2 Incorporated began in 1976 with a dream of African American, Hispanic, and Native American children becoming the nation’s next great scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Now that dream is a formal K-12 academy where students and their families gain purposeful guidance as they equip themselves with the academic and applied skills necessary to navigate their way through the emerging technologies and science of the 21st century.

Times² Academy of Engineering, Mathematics, Science, and Technology - a charter school supported by the Providence Public Schools Department and approved by the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - features a learning environment where students are introduced to concepts intricately linked to engineering, mathematics, science, and technology in order to develop and nurture their interest in higher education and related careers.

Times² Academy is distinct in that its educational program emerged from a nonprofit organization with over 24 years of supportive leadership. The school is organized according to divisions - Divisions 1 Grades K-2, Division 2 - Grades 3-5, Division 3 - Grades 6-8, Division 4 Grades 9-11, and Division 5 – Grade 12; this divisional structure contributes to the school’s unique culture. The fact that its program has a focus on engineering, mathematics, science, and technology places Times² Academy in a different category than a traditional school. Moreover, the use of multiple assessments to determine student achievement makes Times² Academy a rare school community (i.e., NECAP Achievement Tests, digital portfolios, Project 2061 benchmarks, project-based activities, etc.). Partnerships with area universities and colleges make the Academy an interesting educational organization where its students are exposed to college and university culture via Saturday Academies and summer programs long before officially enrolling in these places of higher learning.

A code of conduct, school uniforms, and student and parent Compacts for Learning are special elements of Times² Academy. As a result of these features, the Academy has been able to create a culture of caring and personal accountability. Also, professionals come to Times² Academy and share their career experiences with the students. These special presenters, often from the fields of engineering, medicine, law, architecture, business, higher education, and professional sports, reinforce the school’s mission and introduce additional resources which extend well beyond the schoolhouse doors.