About Us
Vision
NCAC will become a driving force for collaborative support of career academies worldwide.
Mission
To create and support a national network of existing and emerging career academies.
Goals
- to define and set criteria for success and evaluation processes that can assist career academies in assessment;
- to provide technical assistance, training and other supports to emerging and existing academies, schools, and community partners;
- to develop networks of support for related career specific programs and for regional academy personnel and partners.
NCAC Data
Established: 1996, 501 (C) 3 nonprofit corporation
Charter members: Representatives of key academy efforts from Philadelphia, California, Florida, and Washington DC; grass roots, collaborative effort of students, teachers, school administrators, university, and corporate partners.
Purpose: National network linking unique high school programs to help create and support emerging and existing career academies that focused on identifying and supporting the development of students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and business partners.
First National Career Academy Coalition conference was held in Philadelphia In 1997 with nearly 400 students, teachers, school administrators, and business and government partners.
NCAC is committed to forging business linkages nationally between academies and professional organizations and has developed career networks or “strands” through organizations such as the Public Relations Society of America, the American Society for Public Administration and the Association of General Contractors.
NCAC History
Spurred on by a growing interest in career academies, a group of representatives of key academy efforts from Philadelphia, California, Florida and Washington DC came together in 1996 in a spirit of collaboration and partnership to explore the interest and need for a national network linking these unique high school programs. The result of that meeting was the creation of the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) whose mission is to help create and support emerging and existing career academies.
In that first meeting it became evident that while there were state organizations serving academies, or organizations that served particular career-theme areas, there was no organization that focused on identifying and supporting the development of the students, teachers, school administrators, parents and business partners who are involved in career academies.
So, in short, we decided to create an organization that would serve all academies. We didn’t have a strategic plan, a complex research analysis, or office space. No foundation or funding source promised us a grant. Instead, we had a dedicated group of individuals who truly believed that they understood academies and the need for creating a community of support. So it was that with only those human resources that we took a leap of faith and held our first national conference in Philadelphia In 1997.It was a success. It included nearly 400 students, teachers, school administrators and business and government partners in attendance. Teachers and coordinators told us they enjoyed being recognized; they liked connecting with their peers from around the country; they were happy for the opportunity to “brag” about their successes and give someone starting out a “leg-up.” Students enjoyed the connections to other students from around the country and took advantage of the networking opportunities.
From the first conference NCAC has included students as an integral part of event. Students have their own facilitators and activities that culminate with a special presentation during a general session. Subsequent conferences included special workshops for parents and seminars conducted by academies’ business partners that provided information on why academies are important to business.
NCAC is committed to forging business linkages nationally between academies and professional organizations and has developed career networks or “strands” through organizations such as the Public Relations Society of America, the American Society for Public Administration and the Association of General Contractors
Begun in 1996, this grass roots, collaborative effort continues to grow in scope and membership. NCAC relies on its membership of students, teachers, school administrators, university and corporate partners for achieving its mission of supporting emerging and existing career academies nationally.