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Contact
Main Number:
(413) 552-2917
For enrollment questions:
Call (413) 285-3697
Phelipe Johnson
Principal of Opportunity Academy
Send Phelipe Johnson an Email
Christopher Smidy
School and Community Partnerships Coordinator
Send Christopher Smidy an Email
Angela Morales
Manager of Operations for Opportunity Academy
Send Angela Morales an Email
Vivian Ostrowski
Director of Gateway to College
Send Vivian Ostrowski an Email
Catherine Gobron
Executive Director of Lighthouse Holyoke
Send Catherine Gobron an Email
Opportunity Academy (OA) proudly offers a set of alternative high school pathways that allow students to continue or restart on a pathway to a diploma if they are not succeeding in a more traditional high school setting. Our students can earn high school credits, prepare to pass the MCAS, and graduate with a Holyoke Public Schools Diploma or state-granted diploma (HiSet.) Students may continue to participate in all of the extracurricular activities offered at Holyoke High School North or Dean Campuses, provided they are in good academic standing. We ask our students to maintain their academic and social growth and respect for their peers and educators as these are the most important drivers of success.
OA offers three programs to serve students with a diverse set of needs or goals, which we identify as part of our onboarding process. Our programs include:
A Dual-Enrollment program at Holyoke Community College for students age 16+ who seek an early college experience;
A small personalized progressive education center for high school students of any age; and
A project-based and competency-based high school program for students who are more than one year off-track.
Opportunity Academy is a school of choice, and students and families always have a say in whether or not they enroll at one of the three OA programs. Our highly dedicated team of engagement specialists will ensure students understand all options and work to help match students with the option that best suits their needs and goals.
We ask our prospective students:
Do you need an alternative to a traditional high school setting?
Did you drop out but want to resume your studies to receive a diploma or HiSet diploma?
Do you have dreams for your future and need a diploma to achieve them?
Do you have competing priorities that require flexibility in how, when, and where you learn?
If so, we offer programs for you!
Opportunity Academy’s Three Different Programs
Offered to HPS students on Holyoke Community College (HCC) campus
Students (16 years old+) can earn high school and college credit and a Holyoke High Schools diploma at the same time
HPS Success Center
Project-based and competency-based means you can progress at your own pace
A combined program for high school students and adult learners
Students can complete their Holyoke High Schools diploma
Adults can prepare to pass the HiSET and earn a GED (state-granted diploma)
Students are supported by a primary person (advisor) who deeply knows them and understands their challenges, goals, and academic and social emotional goals and progress
Success Center can be an ideal option for students who have fallen behind (more than one year behind their graduation cohort) and are looking to get back on track at their own pace
A program for a small number of Holyoke Public Schools students to earn a Holyoke High School diploma at LightHouse Holyoke
LightHouse emphasizes student agency, restorative practices, social justice, and high interest academic programming
A small, intimate school where many students who have struggled to “find a home” in traditional school settings can find something radically different
Our 'Primary Person' system
We use a "Primary Person" system, through which every OA student has an advisor who knows them deeply. The advisory uses case-conferencing and frequent outreach and check-ins to support the student in setting academic and social goals and then taking the right actions to meet those goals.
While we treat students as young adults, they must take the initiative to make young-adult decisions and place the recovery of their path to graduation and a choice-filled post-secondary life first and foremost.