The definition of “school” in our society today is changing dramatically.  No longer is it seen as a freestanding institutional element within communities.  Rather, it is becoming the new center of our communities. 

We are preparing today's students to join a complex and ever-changing society, which has led to the adoption of new educational methods and teaching philosophies that rely heavily on project-based education and real life apprenticeships.  The blending of school, community, and business environments has occurred as a natural outcome of these new processes and ways of thinking.

Schools have become central to communities by way of the magnet school approach.  The magnet school curriculum carries a specific educational or career emphasis that serves to draw students representative of the entire community.  Many districts have established small schools-within-a-school, or academies, that allow students to select a specific focus of study in grades 11 and 12.  Typical high school academies include performing arts, health and sciences, fine arts, sociology, and  law.  Other districts offer programs associated with local businesses, institutions of higher learning, and other community facilities. Historically, these academies have taken the form of smaller, satellite campuses that have not provided the conventional facilities of a comprehensive high school.  Examples would be medical magnet high schools, schools for environmental studies, schools for the performing arts, and schools for urban studies.

Some stellar examples of these schools have recently emerged across the country, including:

King Drew Medical Magnet High School, Los Angeles, California:
This school houses 2,500 students on a 4.3-acre site.   Students interested in the healthcare profession learn through the metaphor of medicine.  All curricular areas are taught through an integrated healthcare curriculum.  There are no competitive sport facilities on campus, but a basic fitness center has been included on its very small site.  One of the unique benefits of this project is its location.  It is situated directly across the street from the Martin Luther King Medical Center and adjacent to the Charles Drew Medical School, allowing students to work within the hospital and share resources and instructors with the medical school.  The school is designed as a healthcare facility, reinforcing its emphasis on a healthcare-focused curriculum.

The Academy at Moorpark College, Moorpark, California:
Moorpark Unified School District and Moorpark Community College are combining efforts to create this health and science academy.  This 300-student program will be housed on the Moorpark Community College campus, taking advantage of available land and maximizing the utilization of classroom buildings through careful scheduling.  The peak times of utilization for the community college are in the morning and evening hours, whereas the high school district can best utilize the space during mid-day.  By combining curriculum and programs, both District and College not only maximize the utility of facilities, but also provide an integrated curriculum that creates pathways for the success of all students.  In addition, the District has entered into partnerships with business, industry, and local research firms.

Tracy Learning Center, Tracy, California:
The City of Tracy, Delta Community College, Tracy Unified School District and the business community are entering into a joint powers agreement to develop the Tracy Learning Center.  This is intended to be a combination campus housing community college students, high school students, and employees of research companies.  An integrated, high-tech curriculum will allow students to enter the Learning Center in the ninth grade and matriculate through their first two years of college and beyond.  The ultimate design will be a unique combination of integrated facilities, resulting in a defined high school and community college campus with shared support and technological facilities that can be utilized by high school students, college students, and business entities alike.  The community is eagerly anticipating the development of this special project and the opportunity to spark future research and high-tech development.

Silverado Middle School, Roseville, California:
This middle school has an open campus, as do all schools within the Dry Creek Joint Elementary School district.  Its location adjacent to a park site strengthens its connection to the community.  The history of gold mining in the local area provided an overall theme for the design of the school.  Thematic courtyards correspond directly to each grade level's area of instructional concentration.  A teen center, operated by the City of Roseville, is located within the school's gymnasium.

The Village at Indian Hill, Pomona, California:
Pomona Unified School District is developing the The Village at Indian Hill, a project that integrates a small high school into an existing, converted shopping center.  This project creatively injects the school's elements into a mixed-use project, resulting in tremendous revitalization of an economically depressed community.  Challenges exist with regard to acquiring state architect approval for the use of commercial structures as schools.

The Lincoln Project, Stockton, California:
In the Lincoln Unified School District, the Lincoln Project looks at a unique way of educating high school students.  An environmental magnet campus will supplement the district's existing comprehensive high school.  The school site is located on a farm, with innovative learning environments created to house 100 students each.  The learning centers will accommodate all curricular areas, students will work on hands-on projects and will demonstrate learning through performances and other creative means.

One of the focal points of the campus is an environmental research center where small groups of students will work with research scientists on actual projects.  In lieu of a physical education department, the campus has a fitness center, financed and constructed by a local developer.  It is utilized by students in the daytime and functions as a community fitness center by night.  Students learn about health and wellness through a series of displays and fitness activities.

Chelsea High School, Chelsea, Massachusetts:
This is a 2,000-student high school divided into four academic houses where students select a specific curricular emphasis.  Students share support facilities such as library and administrative services.

West High School, Aurora, Illinois:
Over the past four years, the West Aurora School District has undertaken an ambitious, district-wide renovation and expansion program.  Central to the program has been the transformation of the district's only high school, West High School.  A key improvement was the addition of a two-story, academic wing, which gives the school a new face to the community.  Within this wing is a flexible academy for academically focused programs.  The facility includes a technology plaza that is used by students and members of the community. Another new feature of the school is a cafeteria wing that incorporates a branch of Starbucks Coffee, expressing (no pun intended!) how community and school in West Aurora are coming closer together.

School of Environmental Studies, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota:
The Twin Cities are developing a series of two-year, thematic magnet programs dispersed throughout the community.  Students acquire all desired outcomes through focused study of a special interest area, leading perhaps to a future profession.  The first of these programs to be established is the School of Environmental Studies, located on the campus of the Minnesota Zoo.  This project involved the collaborative efforts of the Zoo, city, state, and county.  Five hundred students are housed in an unconventional building, where students work in project teams in an open and interactive setting.  Students serve as zoo staff, and zoo staff serve as teachers within the educational facility.  In addition to the zoo school, the community has magnet offerings in health sciences, urban studies, and fine arts. 

West Metro Educational Program, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
This is a K-12 magnet school for 500 students, serving a total of nine suburban and urban school districts. The school was set up as a collaboration between businesses and universities, and has developed a strong multicultural learning environment.

Henry Ford Museum Campus, Dearborn, Michigan:
This magnet high school is housed within the Henry Ford Museum.  Students take advantage of thousands of exhibits as part of a hands-on curriculum, with an emphasis on transportation.  Development costs for the center were cut in half by utilizing existing facilities.

Samsung Nexus Research Center, Seoul, Korea:
The Samsung Nexus Research Center interconnects specific scientific disciplines from the entire corporate structure of Samsung.  Diverse individuals are brought together and are provided with facilities including offices, dormitories, a fitness center, conference facilities, and dining facilities.  It is a unique corporate educational center with connections to the local educational community.

As the needs of students change and our communities become more diversified, the magnet school continues to offer innovative opportunities for students to learn and grow.  As the boundaries between school and community are diminished, the opportunities for students to learn from real life experiences are multiplied.  The use of community and other facilities will also allow for tremendous economies in the development of our future schools.  These educational environments should provide invigorated settings for learning well into the 21st century.