With the start of the 2024-2025 school year, Hazelwood Central High became the district’s fifth thematic school. A key part of the program is Real World Fridays. The Real World Learning and Innovative High School project at Central High offers students the opportunity to engage in learning experiences that align with their interests, academic and social-emotional needs, and college and career pathways. Student and staff schedules have remained the same Mondays through Thursdays, but the real-world learning activities take place on Fridays.

“Thematic school gives the students the ‘why’ — why school is important, why education is important,” explained Dr. Veronica Macklin, Hazelwood Central High principal, during a recent Real World Friday. “It helps them find the purpose — and find themselves,” she added. “When students leave our school, they are equipped to be able
to survive and thrive in the global market.”

                                            For students who are on Central’s campus on Fridays, multiple learning experiences are provided, such as real-world academic lab experiences, diverse field experiences, apprenticeships, internships, career explorations, guest presenters, and projects all tied
to their current coursework and Missouri Learning Standards.

Teachers, counselors, and social workers work to plan, lead, and facilitate hands-on learning experiences. The field experiences bring students face-to-face with a wide variety of professionals and organizations to provide first-hand insight into an extensive
range of career options. For instance, during one recent outing, a group of students received the opportunity to tour the Hazelwood Transportation Department facilities and learn from the Director of Transportation and the staff about their responsibilities and
their career paths. These experiences expose students to careers they may not have previously considered or even knew existed.

Field experiences and partnerships this year have included visits to the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Art Museum, the Kemper Art Museum, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and St. Louis Community College with upcoming trips scheduled to a refinery and a federal courthouse.

Guest speakers have also shared their career experiences with the students in the classroom. Students have listened to presentations from a bank manager, a firefighter, a playwright, an early childhood educator, as well as hearing from representatives from
The Missouri Botanical Gardens, Mercy Hospital, Edward Jones, and professional staff at the Learning Center.

Dual enrollment at St. Louis Community College is also a key component of Real World Fridays. Selected sophomores, juniors, and seniors applied to complete dual enrollment and dual credit coursework at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley.

The Hazelwood School District provides transportation, student lunches, and tuition for designated coursework. Over 120 students take advantage of this opportunity.