A new technical magnet school is preparing for liftoff next year, offering students a chance to touch down on Mars as part of the curriculum. Goodwin University Magnet School System has begun construction on RiverTech, a new 288-student high school with a new four-story building next to the existing four-story Pathways Academy on Pent Road in East Hartford. Though the school has plans to offer opportunities to students interested in a wide variety of STEM subjects and careers, its flashiest feature is the “astronaut training center” that aims to simulate space missions to the surface of Mars. Goodwin Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said Wednesday that the $85 million school, funded with full reimbursement through the state, expects to open “mid- to late fall” next year, in time for the 2026-27 school year. East Hartford officials and future students joined the district at a groundbreaking event Tuesday, marking the beginning of the new building’s construction.
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-east-hartford-magnet-school-mars-simulation-20357734.php