Irwin Academic Center

Irwin Academic Center is the new name of Villa Heights Academic Center, moved and renamed beginning with the 2011-12 school year. Irwin is CMS's only full magnet for the Learning Immersion and Talent Development program. Both Learning Immersion and Talent Development programs accelerate student learning through a rigorous curriculum focused on the... strengths of each child. At Irwin, students learn to use real-world problem solving and higher-order thinking skills to prepare them for the 21st century. Learning Immersion (for grades K-5) is an accelerated curriculum designed for children who can thrive in a rich, fast-paced environment, and who are likely to be identified as academically gifted. The Talent Development program (for grades 3-5) is for those children who are identified as academically gifted. Both programs offer students rigorous and academically challenging curricula. Students are enrolled by entering a school lottery drawing which is held in early spring, with the TD program being especially geared to the learning, social and emotional needs of gifted students. Irwin is located in Uptown Charlotte's Third Ward, in the historic building that was Harding High School when Dorothy Counts became the first black student to attend an all-white CMS school there in 1957. The new Irwin Avenue location holds out great potential for even more educational and cultural enrichment through partnerships with Uptown businesses, cultural organizations, and schools. For more than a decade, our school has been recognized as an Honor School of Excellence under the state's ABC goals. It has also been recognized by the state School Board and Hunt Institute for its academic honors. Student honors have included a state chess title, state math fair champions, regional science fair winners, and an Odyssey of the Mind team that participated in the world finals two years in a row. Mission Statement: It is our mission to foster high academic achievement and the growth of creative and critical thinkers, lifelong learners, ...Read More