A Bitney Prep Charter High School student’s academic program can be individually tailored to reflect that student’s
passions, interests, and future goals. This program will consist of five basic components, though:
Core Classes
Internships
Advisory/Electives/Clubs
Sierra College Classes
Intersession/Wilderness Week
CORE CLASSES
Foundational to any High School education, Bitney Prep’s Core Classes (English, Science, Math, and History) are taught by a passionate and dedicated group of teachers. At Bitney, we know having high academic standards doesn’t come at the expense of student engagement. Learning is grounded in the real world, focused on student participation, tailored to meet the individual needs of students, and, above all else, fun!
All core classes are A-G certified, which means that those units are eligible for admission to the UC/CSU systems. All core classes adhere to California State and Common Core Standards.
INTERNSHIPS
The world is a complex place and our students need the knowledge that arises out of confronting the challenges of the real world. Our dynamic full-day INTERNSHIP PROGRAM puts our students into the workspace where they learn the professional and soft skills they’ll need to follow their passions and succeed.
Every Wednesday, all day, Bitney students can be found all over Nevada County at local businesses and organizations. From artists to automobiles, veterinary offices to government offices, Bitney students work side by side with their mentors. From manufacturing to disc jockeying, computer science to electrical engineering, there is a place for every interest and dream.
ADVISORY/ELECTIVES/CLUBS
Bitney Prep fosters an environment of inclusivity, diversity, empathy, and support. The Advisory system is an integral part of this. Students are part of an advisory cohort with the same group of students and teacher for all four years of their high school career. This tight-knit group serves as a support system for every student, academically, socially, and emotionally. At Bitney Prep, everyone is included.
Bitney Prep also has a vibrant series of Electives and Clubs. Whether your interests are in the arts, automobile restoration, music, climbing, theater, film, comic books, Dungeons and Dragons, or student government, Bitney has a place for you. While Electives are taught by credentialed teachers, clubs are student-led, giving everyone the opportunity to find friends with similar interests, open themselves up to new experiences, and take on leadership roles.
SIERRA COLLEGE CLASSES
Bitney Prep Charter High School has a signed Memorandum of Understanding with Sierra College that allows all of our students, Freshmen to Seniors, to enroll at Sierra Community College and choose from 100s of different classes, tuition-free. As Sierra is within walking distance of Bitney, this is an amazing opportunity for our students for academic enrichment, following their passions, or getting a head start on their future.
INTERSESSION/WILDERNESS WEEK
Bitney Prep is all about students finding their passions and their community. Part of that means getting together to have fun. Two of our programs, Intersession and Wilderness Week are designed specifically for that.
Wilderness Week is just what it sounds like. Every year, usually in early September, Bitney Prep packs up and packs out into the wilderness for a week of camping, outdoor activities, hiking, and community building.
Intersession is a week-long program between the 1st and 2nd semesters where teachers pick a subject that is outside their normal curriculum that they just love to explore. In the past, Intersession classes have run the gamut from documentary film making to slam poetry contests, swing dancing to mountain biking, seminars on the Middle East to bread making, and many, many more. Intersession is another way that students come together through learning to help build community.