Introducing the Alliance Academy of Innovation & JA Discovery Center of North GA
Forsyth County Welcomes Two Exciting Additions for Middle and High School Students!
The Alliance Academy of Innovation Alternative High School was opened alongside the new Junior Achievement Center. It will offer a unique experience for Forsyth County students.
This new alternative high school boasts a robust curriculum and takes a different approach to achieving success. It is considered a school of choice similar to a magnet school. The Alliance Academy of Innovation is an alternative high school that will focus on building career and financial skills. Although it will serve students in grades 9-12, it will open its doors exclusively for ninth and tenth grades in the first year to ensure success.
Funded in part through the Forsyth County Public Facilities Authority, the Academy is Forsyth County Schools’ seventh high school. Its location is on approximately 23 acres in the City of Cumming on Lanier 400 Parkway. The Academy is a true example of public/private partnership and has been a collaborative project between business, industry, post-secondary and community partners from its inception. It is a true alliance of Forsyth County stakeholders.
Types of Study and Opportunities Offered
What makes this school so unique is the choice of curriculum and pacing for enrollment. Taking a more modern approach on learning, the school plans to unveil five main schools of study:
- Aerospace & Logistics
- Criminal Justice & Law
- Healthcare & First Responders
- Hospitality & Design
- Mechatronics & Energy
Students will be able to more accurately control their futures with a curriculum that caters to both job placement and exceeding Georgia’s high school graduation requirements. In addition, the principal of the alternative high school Brandi Cannizzaro believes these areas of study will give students the direction they need to find success no matter the path they choose.
“These are high-demand, high-growth career pathways, which can lead either to a four-year college or directly into employment after graduation,” commented Cannizzaro.
The school will work with a variety of career and technical student organizations, including TSA and DECA. Also, programs like dual enrollment, honors membership and advanced placement classes will be offered to further assist with student goals.
Ensuring that all students are ready for college with a more general curriculum is the school’s main goal, while also giving opportunities to students that want to enter straight into the job force. A special curriculum was developed to achieve these goals, and it was loosely modeled after the Ford Next Generation Learning Initiative.
Currently, there is a wait-list for students wanting to attend the academy. The Academy plans to be at full capacity by 2020 with a projected population total of 1,200 students.
Facilities and the Junior Achievement Discovery Center
The academy will feature state-of-the-art equipment including: flight simulators, a wind tunnel, an ambulance simulator and a courtroom. Technology available at the Academy will include labs specifically designed for cyber-security, virtual reality and graphic design.
The school shares space on a beautiful 23 acre property with another innovative entity, the Mike and Lynn Cottrell Junior Achievement Discovery Center. This will be the third JA Discovery Center in Georgia and will house the JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. These are innovative and immersive experiences for students that allow them to get familiar with different industries, test out actual careers and build financial knowledge.
This center will serve between 15,000 – 17,000 people in the North Georgia area. BizTown and Financial Park will provide immersive training simulations alongside peers and professionals. Students will learn modern financial, managerial and entrepreneurial skills to ensure future success in any industry. Delta Air Lines and Publix Super Markets are among the businesses who will have storefronts in the new facility.
The official grand opening for this exciting new facility took place on July 21st. To learn more about Forsyth County’s educational options, contact the Chamber’s Vice President of Economic Development, Robert Long, at rlong@cummingforsythchamber.org.
