Career Academies

The academy is a smaller learning community that focuses on a career theme and is integrated into students’ studies, including their core curriculum courses. Each year, the same group (cohort) of academy students takes a Career and Technical Education course aligned with the career theme and one or more core classes together. This school-within-a-school model may be either a three- or four-year academy.

Each academy student participates in several work-based learning activities, such as job shadowing, career fairs, career-themed industry tours, and an internship. Academy students are prepared to participate in these experiences through their cohort academy courses. Each academy student must do an internship between the junior and senior years related to the academy theme. The internship requires 120 hours.

Resources

• The National Career Academy Coalition creates and supports a national network of existing and emerging high school career academies. They engage administrators, teachers, students, businesses, government officials, community partners and families in an ongoing dialogue, and provide services to help meet the needs of academies.
• Career Academy Support Network (CASN) offers comprehensive support and staff development for Small Learning Communities and Career Academies, at which students can fulfill requirements for college entrance while learning to relate their academics to the world outside high school.
• National Academy Foundation (NAF) Supports a national network of career academies that are based in public high schools and serve youth ages 14-18.
• National Centers for Career and Technical Education