A South Side Chicago high school is getting national press for breaking the mold of traditional schools.
There's many ways that Sarah E. Goode Stem Academy is different, the biggest being that the students -- or, rather innovators as they're called -- attend for six years instead of four.
The school has only been open for 18 months, and emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math.
"It's reassuring to know that they're challenging you and making it better for your future," sophomore Thelma Smith said.
Time magazine featured the school and highlighted its six-year model along with its partnership with Daley College and corporate sponsor, IBM.
"We have currently 45 percent of our sophomore class taking classes at Daley College, so it's just amazing that it's gotten up and running but it shows what you can do with commitment," IBM's Charlotte Johnson said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel stopped off at the school Friday to promote the fact that students at the school will not only leave with a high school diploma, but also a college associate's degree.
"Kids can see why an education matters to their future, because it ties to unemployment, IBM, and it's where all the jobs are going to be created, technology," Emanuel said.
Each of the graduates is promised a $40,000-plus opportunity at IBM.
More schools like Goode are coming, not just in Chicago, but nationwide. The government has earmarked $100 million in federal grants.
