Career Academies

A major strategic goal of The Education Foundation is to lead a senior-level business/civic/education partnership that develops and implements a large-scale and sustainable career academy community network in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties.

What is a Career Academy?

The Education Foundation has adopted the Ford Motor Company definition of career academies:

• School-within-school learning environments that are personalized and inclusive to all students;
• Challenging, rigorous, and relevant curricula that prepare students for college, careers and productive citizenship;
• Partnerships with businesses and other community resources that broaden learning opportunities.

Why Career Academies?

A host of studies reported and summarized in Career Academies: A Proven Strategy to Prepare High School Students for College and Careers (Stern, Dayton, and Raby, updated February 25, 2010) show that career academy students consistently show…

• Lower dropout rates,
• Improved attendance
• Increased graduation rates
• Increased participation in volunteer and extracurricular activities.
• Higher postsecondary enrollment
• Higher earnings after graduation.

Are there Career Academies in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties?

The Economic Development Act, passed by the South Carolina legislature in 2005 created Personal Pathways to Success, a program to support career preparation by requiring that high schools organize elective courses around career themes.  Many schools in the Trident region have exceeded this requirement and are moving toward career academies that meet national standards established by the National Career Academy Coalition. Read more about Personal Pathways here.

To facilitate career academy development, The Education Foundation is developing a master plan for career academies in partnership with the school districts and the region’s business leadership.  The plan will set forth priorities for career academies that are aligned with the region’s major economic needs and that build on what is already in place in the schools.

National Recognition for The Education Foundation

The Education Foundation is one of only 15 communities in the country that are members of The Ford Motor Company national network of communities who will be tomorrow’s leaders in preparing students for the 21st century workforce.

Ford Motor Company Fund Next Generation Learning Communities (NGLCs) are regional alliances of K–12 schools, business people, postsecondary educators, and community leaders, mobilized to reform education and stimulate local economic development. Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Ford Motor Company, identifies and supports communities that show potential for national leadership in transforming the high school experience.

During the past 18 months, representatives of the region’s business community, chambers of commerce, United Way, parents, superintendents and district leaders  as well as teachers and guidance counselors have visited model career academies in Pensacola  and Jacksonville, Florida.

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