West Potomac Academy will open its classroom doors to prospective students and their parents, local business representatives, and community members for an open house on Friday, Feb. 17, between 9 a.m and 1 p.m. West Potomac Academy is one of six high school academies in Fairfax County Public Schools.
The goal of the open house is to recruit students for the 2012-13 school year, strengthen ties with the community workforce, and establish business partnerships. Students and teachers will be available to share highlights of the following academy programs: Dental Careers, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy Tech, Medical Assisting, Criminal Justice, Dance, Professional Television Production, Fashion Design, and Music and Computer Technology. Students are prepared to demonstrate their professional skills and share examples of their work, portfolios, and resumés.
The career focus at West Potomac Academy enables students to learn about the various occupations within their fields of interest. Students take part in many hands-on activities — both inside and outside of the classroom — that provide a realistic view of and practical experience for the job. Many individuals from local businesses and organizations work with the students in the classroom as guest speakers. In addition, many community members and businesses welcome students into the workplace by offering internships, job shadowing, work opportunities, and tours of their facilities.
West Potomac Academy offers advanced career-oriented electives using industry standard equipment. Several courses offer industry certifications and college credits. Each year, more than 600 high school juniors and seniors from approximately 15 Fairfax County public schools get a jump start on their careers by taking one of the academy courses.