George Washington Carver College & Career Academy, Shelby County

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George Washington Carver College & Career Academy

 

Great Staff!

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Great Students!

 

Great Expectations!

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At George Washington Carver College & Career Academy (GWCCCA), the administrators, faculty, and staff have shifted the mind set of what a traditional alternative school should look like and transformed it with a college and career focus.

 

Scholars at the academy are required to take an exclusively designed academic counseling course created by the teachers at GWCCCA. In this course students receive exposure to colleges, the military, community service, and various careers. Students participate in a college fair, visit colleges, and meet with recruiters from such colleges as Christian Brothers University, LeMoyne-Owen College, Tennessee State University, and the University of Memphis. Students who desire a non-traditional education have a special session with a recruiter from The College of Art to explore other career options.

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Instructors at the academy realize that college may not be for everyone; however, being successful in life is. Students learn about technical certification programs through job fairs hosted by the WIN program and attend the Entrepreneur Series 101/Careers in Action seminar where they meet with entrepreneurs such as Nikki Chanel, celebrity make-up artist and owner of The Facegirl, an entrepreneur mentoring program, as well as Desmond Robinson of D. Arthur Catering service, and former chef for NBA player Thaddeus Young. 

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Students that aspire to be in the military take the armed services vocational aptitude battery (ASVAB) test and meet with Army and U.S. Navy recruiters to discuss requirements for joining. The academic counseling class also teaches students the importance of networking through community service. Scholars participate in community service at facilities like the St. Jude Garden Project, acted as greeters for the Wiley College concert, and assisted at the Food Bank.

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In addition to the academic counseling class program, other programs like DECA, Work Based Learning, Carver Ambassadors, and Project Stand all share the school’s goal of exposing all GWCCCA students to college and career opportunities.

 

In particular, the Carver Ambassadors program has helped students receive employment at local businesses and allowed students to participate in service learning projects at local community gardens, and the Civil Rights Museum. The Ambassadors also have motivational speakers from the Memphis community such as judges, law enforcement, and the entertainment industry.

 

Project STAND has aided students in earning National Career Readiness Certifications, obtaining career readiness skills, and Technical Employment Certifications. Through Project Stand students visit technical education schools such as Lincoln Tech, Rankin Tech, Nissan Tech, and TCAT.

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These programs, along with the academic counseling course, serves as the successful core of GWCCCA’s academic, college, and career focus for all students.

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The principal for G.W. Carver College & Career Academy is Dr. James Suggs, suggsj@scsk12.org.