WESTMARC, Agua Fria district team up on new Southwest Valley Academies

WESTMARC is partnering with the Agua Fria Union High School District to roll out the Southwest Valley Academies in their five schools this coming fall.

All district ninth will engage with a year-long Ninth Grade Experience career exploration. Near the end of their freshman year, these students will select one of several career academies offered throughout Agua Fria Union High School District schools.

There, as they advance through their 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years, the students’ core educational requirements will be offered through the lens of their chosen career fields, and they will engage in increasing levels of work-based learning, according to a WESTMARC press release.

By the time these students graduate, they will have earned industry credentials, dual college credit, and work experience that will set them up for success whether they choose to go on to college, enter an apprenticeship program, or begin employment immediately.

“As we embark on this groundbreaking journey with WESTMARC and the business community, we are sharing the responsibility for developing the workforce pipeline in the Southwest Valley,” Mark Yslas, Agua Fria Union High School District superintendent, stated.

WESTMARC is serving as a convening partner, consisting of regular meetings with education, community, and business partners to plan for the rollout of Southwest Valley Academies at Agua Fria, while WESTMARC continues to partner with all other West Valley school districts.

“As the West Valley continues to grow and attract advanced industries, students will now have the chance to make real-world connections sooner, giving them the opportunity to work locally and improve their quality of life post-graduation,” WESTMARC President and CEO Sintra Hoffman stated.

The Academies will focus on the specific occupation and skill needs of West Valley businesses and provide several opportunity levels for businesses to engage with workforce development, anywhere from a one-hour classroom presentation to a semester-long internship, and everything in between, says Kevin Dumcum, WESTMARC’s director of regional workforce development.