College and career academies transform the traditional high school model to prepare all students for careers by linking academic subjects to career themes. Students and teachers use experiential learning to make lessons come alive. Different pathways designed and supported by educators, business representatives and post-secondary partners are created to introduce students to a variety of college and career options. Click here to learn more.
In the academy model, a small-learning community joins students, educators and business partners based on shared interests. Together, they focus their work on building a supportive and collective environment that engages every student.
Students in academies will concentrate on technical and work ethic skills that can be applied in college or any career. Real-world problems are brought to life in the classroom, which encourages critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. This focuses their learning on a career path that is interesting to them and meets academic standards and goals.
In partnership with The Academies of Greater Clark, local businesses provide advisors for teachers and mentors for students. The partnership creates a current and relevant curriculum and gives students access to job fairs, college and industry visits, career shadowing, internships and capstone projects.
Finance and Accounting
Information Technology
Business and Non-Profit Management
Communication and Marketing (Radio/TV – Journalism)
Patient Care
Dental Services
Pharmacy
Bio-Medical Science (Project Lead the Way)
Engineering (Project Lead the Way)
Advanced Manufacturing (Conexus)
Logistics Management (Supply Chain)
Building and Skilled Trades
Law and Public Safety
Education
Hospitality and Agricultural Science
Civic Arts
College and career academies transform the traditional high school model to prepare all students for careers by linking academic subjects to career themes. Students and teachers use experiential learning to make lessons come alive. Different pathways designed and supported by educators, business representatives and post-secondary partners are created to introduce students to a variety of college and career options.
Students will take required courses in their academy for the majority of their school day while still being able to select courses in other areas of interest.
In 9th grade, students will enter the Freshman Academy. This yearlong introduction to the Academies of Greater Clark provides students with the skills they need to transition to high school while allowing time to explore career interests and opportunities. Students will then select an Academy for their sophomore through senior years.
The majority of their school day will be spent with their Academy Cohort – a small group of students and teachers who remain together through sophomore, junior and seniors year. Classes will consist of core subjects like Math, English, Social Studies and Science, as well as classes that directly relate to a student’s Academy. Students will also have room in their schedule for electives such as art, music, and world languages. It won’t be uncommon for students to spend part of their school day outside the school building by taking a field trip, participating in an internship, doing job shadowing, or any number of other experiences students can’t receive in the classroom.
Students may move academies one time if they find their career aspirations lie in a different academy.
Our goal is to have students never feel “stuck” in their Academy.
During the yearlong Freshman Academy, students spent time learning about each of the four Academies to make informed decisions. Students who believe they are in the wrong Academy or find out that their passion lies in another Academy will have the opportunity to adjust.
The district’s administration and high school leadership team is working on finalizing details like: the number of times a student can switch academies, when they can switch academies, etc.
Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) is the philanthropic non-profit arm of Ford Motor Company.
Ford NGL has helped districts over the past 20 years successfully transform their high schools from outdated “sit and get” classrooms to immersive learning environments.
Ford NGL will help Greater Clark County Schools learn from the experiences of other districts and give us access to many resources, including:
- Seminars
- Workshops
- Staff Development
- A Proven Planning Process
- Professional Development
The Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) Framework is a three strand approach to transforming education.
Ford NGL mobilizes educators, local employers, and community leaders to prepare a new generation of young people who will graduate from high school ready for college, careers, and life – prepared for success in our modern economy.
Three distinct, but interconnected strands comprise the Ford NGL Framework.
These strands enable whole communities to design and carry out a long-term plan for revitalizing and revolutionizing education.
TRANSFORMING TEACHING & LEARNING
Creating meaningful learning experiences that enable students to learn and apply academic, 21st century, and technical knowledge & skills to real-world challenges.
TRANSFORMING THE SECONDARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
Maintaining career and interest-based academies, collaborative cultures, structures, and practices.
TRANSFORMING BUSINESS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Engaging educators, local employers, and community leaders in building then sustaining a transformed secondary school experience.
The Freshman Academy provides additional time to explore courses offered by the four academies.
This yearlong introduction to the academy system provides students with the skills they need to transition to high school while allowing time to explore career interests and opportunities. Ninth-grade students will spend time discovering career opportunities and their own unique interests before choosing a home academy for their sophomore through senior years.
The goal of The Academies of Greater Clark is to strengthen the connection between high school and post-secondary opportunities.
By enabling students to explore areas of interest, find their passion, and develop 21st century skills (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration) The Academies of Greater Clark empowers students and prepares them for life outside our academies.
The Academies of Greater Clark align with projected employment needs in our region based upon research with existing area employers.
A key factor to the success of our College and Career Readiness Initiative is the development of partnerships with organizations throughout our community. Through partnerships with area businesses, we are able to offer additional opportunities to students, including job shadowing, internships, co-ops, mentorships, field trips, externships and more.
Partnering with Greater Clark does not require committing to all of the above opportunities.
To learn more about partnering with Greater Clark, please contact Bryan Reed, at breed@gccschools.com.
To meet that goal, students must not only have academic skills, but also the work-ethic skills necessary to succeed in their chosen post-secondary setting.
In our rapidly changing 21st century world, students need to be more prepared than ever in order to be successful after high school. Recognizing this, Greater Clark County Schools embarked on a partnership with Ford Next Generation Learning to establish The Academies of Greater Clark to ensure all of our students are college and career ready. The academy model will provide small learning communities of students and teachers, organized around labor market demand, that will enable our students to explore areas of interest; find their passion; and develop their critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration skills.