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Cutting edge high school technology education program to propel students into future job markets.

WMHS is the leading technology high school in Albuquerque, and home to the Photonics Academy. The Photonics Academy recruits middle school students with strong math and science proclivities and tracks their progress. The academy is graduating top-notch students who are continuing their education at TVI and UNM.

Students Share Their Experience: Audio and Video


Laser safety instruction. Audio: Former Photonics Academy student Michael Silva [mp3, 2:10, 1.4MB]		Testing the laser's power. Audio: Jason Sterns, Natalie Skoogins [mp3, 2:38, 1.8MB]		A CO-2 laser project. Audio: Michael Pickup, Michelle Parra, Mathew Hernandez [mp3, 3:03, 2.1MB]

Photonics Academy Video – WMHS students [mp4, 2:05, 2MB]

Photonics Academy Curriculum

The Photonics Academy offers students a four-year curriculum, in an academy setting, that teaches the skills students will need to perform high-tech work in the fields of optics and photonics. Students achieve sufficient math and science proficiency to attend university or community college. Enrollment for the next academic year is close to 200 students, 35% of whom are incoming freshmen. Student demographics are 48% female and 65% Hispanic.

The most important philosophy of the Academy is that practical experience is invaluable to increasing instruction and exposing students to current jobs in this field. Once enrolled in the Academy, students experience one of several job mentorship possibilities; job shadowing, apprenticeships, volunteer opportunities, or paid internships.

A unique component of the photonics curriculum is the Holography section. Students spend the last six weeks of the one year Photonics course experiencing the making of holograms. Due to a range of optics skills needed to make a hologram, during this time the students deepen their understanding of the previous weeks of optics instruction and the properties of light.

Photonics Academy Program Components

Internship opportunities at Sandia National Laboratories and UNM's Center for High Technology Materials (CHTM)
Industry site tours
Co-op work experiences
Mentorships
Guest Lectures
Short Courses
Articulated curriculum and concurrent enrollment and credit with TVI and UNM

For more information about the WMHS Photonics Academy:

Tom Daly, Director of Photonics Academy
505-831-6993
wmhsphotonics@aps.edu
Website: www.aps.edu/aps/wmhs/atca/acad_photo_home.html

Key Photonics Academy Faculty


Tom Daly Director, ATA Résumé [pdf, 28k]	Carmen DiGregorio Lead Instructor of Photonics Résumé [pdf, 32k]	Terry Gallegos Assistant to the Director of ATA Résumé [pdf, 28k]

Cheryl Glauner Instructor of Computer Education Résumé [pdf, 36k]	Joe Mercer Instructor of Math Résumé [pdf, 40k]	Ross Nord Instructor of Engineering/ Robotics Résumé [pdf, 32k]

Blanca Lopez WHMS Principal