Alexandria City Public Schools Governor’s Health Sciences Academy
Project Title: Alexandria City Public Schools Governor’s Health Sciences Academy
Program Focus: The mission of the Alexandria City Governor’s Health Sciences Academy is to prepare the next generation of healthcare career-seekers for high-demand, high-wage, and high-skills health careers locally in Alexandria, regionally with the Commonwealth, and nationally. The Academy will provide high-quality, dynamic health science plans of study which offer work-based instruction in collaboration with industry partners, and include a combination of clinical experiences, internships, service learning, mentorships and job shadowing.
Academy Website: Alexandria City Public Schools Governor’s Health Sciences Academy
Board of Education Governor’s Academy Application – refer to Public Comment Section, Action/Discussion Items A.
Executive Summary
Partnership Members: Alexandria City Public Schools, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Northern Virginia Community College, Inova Health Systems, Goodwin House, and Sentara.
Lead/Fiscal Agent: Alexandria City Public Schools
Contact Person:
Sherri Chapman
CTE Coordinator
Alexandria City Public Schools
1340 Braddock Drive
Alexandria, VA 22314
706-619-8338
Sherri.Chapman@acps.k12.va.us
Academy Location:
T. C. Williams High School
3330 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22302
Number of Students Served: The Governor’s Health Sciences Academy will have the capacity to enroll 600 students.
Career Pathways:
Biotechnology Research and Development
Therapeutic Services
Diagnostic Services
Support Services
Health Informatics
Academy Goals and Description:
The overall goals of the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy are to provide expanded options for students’ health science literacy and other critical knowledge, skills, and credentials that will prepare them for high-demand, high-wage, and high-skills health sciences careers in Virginia.
Specific Governor’s Health Sciences Academy objectives include:
- Provide students with health science literacy and other critical knowledge, skills, and credentials, as well as a comprehensive career readiness curriculum, which will prepare students for high-demand, high-wage, and high-skills health science careers locally in Alexandria, regionally within the Commonwealth of Virginia, and nationally.
- Provide rigorous academic curriculum which is centered on hands-on, collaborative learning and laboratory experiences to better prepare students for rapidly changing, technologically enhanced, health science fields.
- Build on the strength of existing career and technical education (CTE) program areas within the high school, and provide opportunities outlined in the seven plans of study for each of the career pathways for Therapeutic Services, Diagnostic Services, Health Informatics, Support Services, and Biotechnology Research and Development.
Program Highlights:
As a result of participating in the Governor’s Health Sciences Academy, students will:
- Gain health science literacy, critical knowledge, and skills in the five Health Science Career Cluster pathways that lead to careers in high-demand, high-wage, and high-skill health careers;
- Earn 9-22 dual enrollment college credit that will transfer to a community college or to a four-year college or university;
- Upon graduation with an overall GPA of 2.75 or better, be offered guaranteed admission to the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences;
- Earn industry credentials preparing them to be more competitive in the workforce and when applying to post-secondary institutions; and
- Benefit from work-based learning opportunities which may include, depending on program selection: clinical experience, internships, service learning, and job shadowing.