An unforgettable year in the life of a visionary high school science teacher and his award-winning students, as they try to get into college, land a date for the prom, and possibly change the world.
Former corporate scientist Andy Bramante–who abandoned his successful business career because he was inspired to teach public high school–helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Andy’s students have taken their work all over their home state of Connecticut and well beyond–D.C., Houston, Los Angeles–cleaning up at the nation’s most prestigious science competitions. They have won the Google Science Fair, invented and patented a fast and inexpensive test for Ebola, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm. These kids come from all kinds of backgrounds, united by a passion for knowledge. As extraordinary as they are, they’re also just teenagers navigating relationships, triumphs, and setbacks both academic and personal, and the stressful task of applying for college. To name just a few, there’s William, the multi-faceted prodigy who’s so driven he aces AP exams for classes he didn’t even take; Ethan, who essentially outgrows high school in his junior year and founds his own company to commercialize a discovery he made in the class; and Sophia, a Lyme disease patient whose ambitious work is dedicated to curing her own debilitating ailment.
In this intimate look at a year in the life of Mr. B and his students, journalist Heather Won Tesoriero embeds in their unconventional classroom as they brainstorm and bring to life their professional-level projects. Over the course of the 2016-17 school year–which turns out to be the most decorated year ever for Andy and his kids–we experience the thrill of discovery, the heartache of failed experiments, the ups and downs of the science-fair circuit, and perhaps the highest of all highs- a yes from Harvard. In the end, The Class is a heartfelt testament to the power of a great teacher to help kids realize their unlimited potential.
