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ASPIRE Academy at Connolly

Three students gather around a circuit board
Two students hold up dissection pieces with gloves on
Two students raise their hand
 

ASPIRE Academy at Connolly is a self-contained gifted program for middle school students committed to freeing the boundless potential in every child. 

This unique program provides experiences presented in ways that gifted students learn best and encourages them to discover deeper connections to their education.

What is ASPIRE Academy at Connolly?

  • Self-contained gifted program housed at Connolly Middle School

  • Offering a small learning community with big school amenities

  • Provides exceptional academic rigor that meets students’ unique academic, social, and emotional learning needs

  • Fast-paced and challenging curriculum

  • Self-directed educational experiences allow students’ learning to become personal, relevant, and meaningful

  • Focus on project-based learning and extensions of curriculum and resources

  • Taught by teachers with a gifted endorsement

  • Provides an educational pathway to gifted high school options in the Tempe Union High School District.

  • Incorporates grade-level Arizona Academic Standards as well as the National Standards in Gifted and Talented Education

Now enrolling students in grades 6-8 for the 2024-2025 school year!

Learn About Applying for ASPIRE

A Day in the Life of ASPIRE Students

Fostering Leadership and Inclusion Through STEM-Based Activities
Social Studies Comes Alive for Middle School Students at ASPIRE
ASPIRE’s Project Based Learning Ignite Students’ Curiosity

I love being an ASPIRE student because we get more hands-on experience. We think differently. We don't think 'Two plus two equals four.' We think, 'What can we add to two plus two to make it not equal four?’

Lyra, ASPIRE Academy student
Student points to a part of a circuit board.

For questions about ASPIRE Academy at Connolly, please contact ASPIRE Academy Coordinator Dr. Gerry Taylor at gerry.taylor@tempeschools.org