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Career Academies

Career Academies are smaller learning communities that focus on a career theme and are 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.

WCPSS Career Academies

Apex High School

  • Academy of Information Technology

Apex Friendship High School

  • Academy of Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing

Athens Drive High School

  • Health Sciences Career Academy

Broughton Magnet High School

  • Academy of Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Marketing

Cary High School

  • Academy of Technology and Advanced Manufacturing

East Wake High School

  • Academy of Life Sciences

Enloe Magnet High School

  • Medical Bioscience Academy
  • Academy of Creative Design

Fuquay-Varina High School

  • Information Technology Academy

Heritage High School

  • Institute of Agribusiness Leaders

Knightdale High School

  • Academy of Environmental Studies
  • Academy of Public Safety

Leesville Road High School

  • Game Design Academy

Middle Creek High School

  • Adobe Digital Media Academy
  • Academy of Professional Educators

Millbrook Magnet High School

  • Digital Media Career Academy
  • Sustainable Agriculture Career Academy

Rolesville High School

  • Digital Arts and Project Management Business Academy

Sanderson High School

  • Academy of Finance

South Garner High School

  • Logistics Academy

Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School

  • Academy of Biomedical Science
  • Academy of Engineering and Information Technology

Wake Forest High School

  • Academy for Construction and Design Careers

Wakefield High School

  • Academy of Small Business Development

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