Career Academies
Career academies combine a college-preparatory curriculum with a career-themed focus. Academic courses that meet high school graduation and college entrance requirements are linked with technical courses that focus on the academy’s theme and are aligned directly to priority workforce needs of the community. Career academies combine conceptual learning with relevant practical experience thus preparing students for both college and careers. Students enrolled in career academies follow a sequential program of study that leads to industry certification and opportunities to earn postsecondary credit and scholarships. Students choose career academies from 16 career clusters listed below, thus allowing them to make the successful transition between high school, college, and careers.
National Academy Foundation (NAF) is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career, and future ready.
NAF’s educational design ignites students’ passion for learning and gives businesses the opportunity to shape America’s future workforce by transforming the learning environment to include STEM infused industry-specific curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships. NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences.
NAF Academies in Miami-Dade
Academies of Hospitality & Tourism
Preparing students for post-secondary education in hospitality and tourism-related majors as well as other courses of study that demand a strong academic foundation in social studies, business, and language arts.
Academies of Finance
Work-based learning activities developed by Industry Leaders in Finance.
Also offering Academy of Agriscience and Academy of Teaching
NAF: Be Future Ready
Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has 62 NAF academies at 30 M-DCPS high schools preparing our students for their futures (2 more planned for next school year.) Our NAF academy themes include: Engineering, Finance, Health Sciences, Hospitality & Tourism, Information Technology, and Other (Agriscience and Teaching.)
Outperforming all other U.S. school districts, Miami-Dade holds the distinction of having 12 Model and 19 Distinguished NAF Academies.