The board of the Technical College System of Georgia announced recently that Atlanta Technical College will receive a $3.3 million grant for the Atlanta College and Career Academy, an pathway project to prepare local high school students for college and high-demand careers.
ATC will partner with Atlanta Public Schools as well as Clayton County Public Schools to establish the academy. While there are local career and college academies in Georgia, the ACCA will be the first regional college and career academy in a major metropolitan area in the state of Georgia.
Administrators will recruit from a pool of more than 20,000 high school students at 32 public high schools.
The ACCA is coming to fruition with the assistance of broad-based community backing. Elected officials, business leaders and local educational institutions such as Clayton State University and the Fulton County Schools have lent their support.
ATC and APS will offer assessment preparation to all 8th and 9th graders in order to ensure a smooth transition from secondary to post-secondary education. Once enrolled in the ACCA, students will have access to a wide range of support programs, including academic advising and career coaching.
Academy students will participate in dual credit programs in which they will earn transferrable credit that will lead to sustainable careers and strengthen the economy of the state. Atlanta Technical College will renovate the New Connections Building on the North end of the campus to house the new ACCA.
About the Author
