Moody Advanced Professional Studies

Discover Your Direction.

A program of the Moody Innovation Institute at Highland Park High School

ATTENTION PROFESSIONALS! Please email Polly McKeithen, Business Development Administrator, if you would like to participate in the MAPS program as a guest speaker, mentor or advisor.

Application process will open in Spring 2020. Each focus area has pre-requisites or co-requisites. Check the APG to confirm your eligibility. Please visit with your counselors if you have any questions.

The Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) Center, which opened in the fall of 2019, provides opportunities for HPHS juniors and seniors to combine traditional coursework with collegiate-level classes and hands-on experience from industry experts in the fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics and business.

The MAPS Center is located within Highland Park High School. Original funding for the program was made possible by the $5.8 million STEAM grant from The Moody Foundation.

MAPS Mission: The Moody Advanced Professional Studies program equips students with a post-secondary competitive edge by connecting rigorous, interdisciplinary coursework with professional, industry-relevant experiences.

Courses: Business Design and Leadership & Engineering Design

-Business Design and Leadership

The MAPS Business Design and Leadership focus area will offer Highland Park students innovative learning that bridges rigorous coursework with profession-centered experiences that will prepare them for post-secondary futures. After examining a variety of business models, reviewing case studies, and analyzing economic implications, students will develop a business model of their own, working through a full entrepreneurial spectrum ranging from prototyping to investments. Business Design and Leadership will be a pairing of three courses for two credits: 1.) AP Microeconomics (.5 credits)(fulfills economics requirement), 2.) Economic Advanced Studies (Post AP, .5 credits), and 3.) Entrepreneurship (1 credit).

The classes will be taught concurrently over the course of an academic year by two teachers over a two-period block. The curriculum is augmented through industry guest speakers, real-world challenges, and contemporary projects developed in collaboration with local universities and businesses. Through this integrated model, students will learn about the relationship between entrepreneurship and microeconomic principles, while applying this knowledge to professional challenges and projects.

The following classes will be blended together throughout the duration of the academic year.

Entrepreneurship
AP Microeconomics
Economics Advanced Studies

-Engineering Design

The MAPS Engineering Design focus area will offer Highland Park students innovative learning in engineering and visual design that bridges rigorous coursework with profession-centered experiences that will prepare them for post-secondary futures. After examining the processes and procedures used in engineering and design, students will develop viable solutions in various engineering fields while considering aesthetic decisions and human factors. Engineering Design will be a pairing of two courses: 1.) Honors Engineering Design and Presentation (1 credit), and 2.) PreAP Graphic Design and Illustration (1 credit) (fulfills technology requirement).

The classes will be taught concurrently over the course of an academic year by two teachers over a two-period block. The curriculum is augmented by industry guest speakers, real-world challenges, and contemporary projects developed in collaboration with local universities and businesses. Through this integrated model, students will learn the relationship between engineered solutions and the aesthetics of design, while applying this knowledge to professional challenges and projects.

The following classes will be blended together throughout the duration of the academic year: