You’ve most likely heard of Dual Enrollment and the IB programs but there is another option for ambitious students that learn best hands on—the Atlanta College and Career Academy (ACCA). This program is perfect for students aspiring to high-demand technical schools or a quick introduction to the workforce following high school.
ACCA is an APS program offered to high school students to prepare them to pursue their desired career in college and/or trade school. The brand-new campus opened in November 2021 in partnership with Georgia Technical College. The program occupies the first two class periods of each day at the ACCA center. Students then travel back to their campuses for the last two periods of the day in which they take their core classes. The program offers 14 pathways, ranging from carpentry to criminal investigation. “You learn a lot of job skills, and its curriculum is super engaging in that it’s mainly made up of projects and experiences,”
Students love ACCA due to its hands-on learning experience. They can get a head start on their passion and learn in ways that are most helpful to them: through real-world experiences. The academy features an accelerated learning course that allows students to complete an entire career pathway in one academic year. The pathways focus on in-demand metro Atlanta careers to make them easily attainable to ACCA graduates. Sophomore Sebastian Montana is gearing up to join the ACCA community in his upcoming junior year. Montana plans to follow the first responder, emergency service pathway in hopes of someday becoming a firefighter. “I’m really looking forward to being able to learn hands-on,” said Montana. “The Academy teaches in a way that is more relevant to me and I think I’ll get a lot of important experience that I’ll need going into the workforce.”
Sophomore Diana Mansouri is another Dub, proud to partake in the program. Mansouri is studying dentistry and plans to continue pursuing the course in college. Graduating from the program gives students a headstart with college-level knowledge and college credits that carry over to their next chapter. After finishing their enrollment at ACCA, students take a final exam in march that determines whether or not they will earn their certification. Once Mansouri completes the course with her certification, she will have enough credits to skip an entire year of college and graduate with a bachelor’s degree after just three years. “The track is easy and fun, and I feel like I’ve learned so much,” said Mansouri. “I and am definitely ready for college now.”
There are many different paths that NAHS students can take after they graduate from high school. ACCA provides a great program to gear up students wanting to take a more vocational route for their future.