RIVERVIEW, Fla. — Thousands of Hillsborough County Schools students will be offered new accelerated course options when they return to school in the fall, opening up opportunities for their futures.
Sumner High School junior Georgia Parson said the Cambridge AICE program has been rewarding in many ways.
“It’s also really introduced me to new people and to new concepts that I never thought I would be learning about or even thinking about,” Parson said.
Right now, Hillsborough County Public Schools has four schools that offer the program, but the district is expanding the Cambridge AICE program to 13 more high schools and one more middle school starting in August.
“This is exactly what we want to create for our students: an opportunity not for them only to excel within the four walls we call our classroom, but also through this community, throughout the state, throughout the nation, and throughout the globe,” Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis said.
The district explained that AICE is part of the Cambridge Pathway, which allows students to earn an international diploma by taking advanced academic courses and passing exams administered by the University of Cambridge in England.
Hillsborough County Schools said passing AICE course exams qualifies students for college credit and earning an AICE diploma by meeting established requirements and completing 100 community service hours earns them Bright Futures scholarships.
“This is, as I said before, an opportunity to save our parents in this community a lot of money, and at the same token, give our children a sense of hope and a sense of opportunity that allows them to fulfill their aspirations every single day,” Davis said.
Another Summer High School student Jalena Dinh shared what the significance would be to receive a scholarship.
“You can go for your career without any worry financially and have that worry in the back of your mind, and you can fully express your career and see what you want to do,” Dinh said.
From one peer to another, Parson said give it a chance to try something new.
“It can really broaden your perspective about the world and other issues,” Parson said.
The district explained AICE courses are college-level courses similar to IB and AP courses.
According to Hillsborough County Public Schools, for the 2022-23 school year, the following schools will offer Cambridge/AICE:
- Brandon High School
- Blake High School
- Chamberlain High School
- East Bay High School
- Freedom High School
- Jefferson High School
- King High School
- Leto High School
- Middleton High School
- Plant City High School
- Riverview High School
- Spoto High School
- Wharton High School
- Shields Middle School
Current Schools Offering Cambridge/AICE
- Sumner High School
- Rodgers Middle School
- Ferrell Middle School
- Franklin Middle School
