Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies (MDAA) recently took center stage on Miami NBC’s Voices with Jawan Strader TV program, as graduation candidate Mykkel Johnson and Director Indira Mardis talked about the flexible, personalized program that helps students to re-energize their high school careers.
MDAA — which will open its third campus in Midtown Miami this summer — appeals to a wide range of learners, including ones who have dropped out, who suffer from anxiety and appreciate a quieter environment, who’ve become teen parents or need a flexible schedule so they can hold down jobs to support themselves and their families.
“When life happens, sometimes the most important things get pushed down the list of priorities — and for many people, that includes completing their education,” said the host, Jawan Strader. “We’ve learned about a program (Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies) that is reaching out to students who either dropped out of high school or may be on the verge, to help them get that all-important diploma.”
Mykkel, who is 18, said he suffers from anxiety and wanted an alternative to the crowded classrooms and pressure-filled schedule of traditional high school. At MDAA, Mykkel is able to take one course at a time, to study in a quiet learning space and from home, and to get as much one-on-one support as needed.
“I like it,” said Mykkel, who wants to go on to study natural medicine after being healed and inspired by his grandmother’s herbal remedies. “I feel it’s very good for kids who just have a lot of anxiety or they just can’t deal with the high traffic with going between classes.”
“We do have a lot of students that struggle with anxiety or they were bullied at school and they don’t feel comfortable,” Mardis said. “We also have students who drop out of school because they had a baby and they’re able to come to our program — and they’re able to bring their babies, too.”
Other students — called “graduation candidates” to remind them of their goals — want to move at a faster pace than is allowed at many traditional schools, so they can graduate early and move on to college and careers.
Regardless of their needs, every graduation candidate has a full team of educators to support them at every step, Mardis explained. “All the students have a mentor, they have a counselor and they have a teacher, and they work with them to be able to prepare them for graduation.”
Click here to watch the entire program.
Miami-Dade Acceleration Academies offers a blended learning model that allows students to work in person and at home, year-round. With three locations throughout Homestead and Miami, Florida, MDAA provides extended on-site hours and students focus on one course at a time. Learn more >>>
