The Arts, Media, and Production (AMP) Specialty Center at Hartwood High School is in its inaugural year, and we are intentionally building a career-focused program designed to connect students with the rapidly evolving creative economy. AMP brings together four pathways: Digital Content Production, Live Event Management, Visual Arts, and Music Production and Audio Engineering, to give students opportunities to develop technical, creative, and professional skills that can translate directly into postsecondary education and the workforce.
A key component of AMP is developing meaningful connections between classroom learning and its aligned industries. In our first year, we are establishing partnerships and experiences that expose students to professionals, postsecondary programs, industry-standard technology, and authentic career environments. In September, AMP students will participate in an experience with Full Sail University, where they will explore programs and careers in entertainment media, technology, production, and related fields. Experiences like this allow students to begin making connections between the skills they are developing in the classroom and the expectations of the industries they may ultimately enter.
We are also building a pathway toward industry-recognized credentials. As the program develops, students will have opportunities to work toward certifications such as Adobe Certified Professional, Autodesk Certified Professional, Digital Video Editor, Avid Certified Professional, and Avid Certified Specialist. These credentials provide students with tangible evidence of technical competency and help position them for continued education, internships, and future employment in creative and technical fields.
Our Arts, Culture, and Society course provides the interdisciplinary foundation for the AMP experience. Students examine how the arts, media, and creative expression have influenced cultures and societies throughout history while also considering the role of modern technology, media, and intellectual property. In October, students will travel to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond as part of a project-based learning unit directly aligned with the course curriculum. This experience will allow students to apply their classroom learning in an authentic cultural setting while exploring the relationship between art, society, history, and today’s creative industries.
While AMP is still in its first year, we are focused on creating more than a collection of courses; we are building a workforce pipeline. Our long-term goal is to provide students with the technical skills, industry exposure, professional credentials, and real-world experiences necessary to move confidently into college, careers, and the creative economy. Through partnerships with businesses, higher education institutions, cultural organizations, and industry professionals, AMP will continue to expand opportunities for students to engage with the people and organizations that are shaping the future of arts, media, and production.
At the CHAMP (Community Health and Medical Professions) Center at Brooke Point High School, learning comes alive through meaningful and strong connections with healthcare professionals, community organizations, and local business partners. Through hands-on experiences, career exploration, networking, and service opportunities, students in our four pathways, Mental Health, Nursing, Medical Assisting, and Biomedical Sciences, are discovering what it truly means to work in healthcare and support our local community. These partnerships provide students with opportunities to see healthcare careers in action, learn directly from professionals, ask meaningful questions, develop valuable real-world skills, and begin building professional networks that can open doors and shape their future careers.
Our partnership with Stafford County Fire and Rescue and the Mary Washington Trauma Education Department gives CHAMP students the opportunity to participate in hands-on emergency response experiences, including CPR activities and Stop the Bleed training. Students practiced skills that healthcare professionals use in real-world situations rather than simply reading about them or watching a video. Through these hands-on experiences, students strengthened their skills, built confidence, and gained the knowledge to make a difference when someone needs help.
Through our partnership with the Mary Washington Healthcare Foundation, CHAMP students volunteered at the Power of Pink Breast Cancer Walk. This experience connected students with healthcare beyond the clinical setting and demonstrated the importance of community service, advocacy, prevention, and patient support.
CHAMP students also had the opportunity to attend a Fredericksburg Regional Alliance ACES luncheon, where they were able to network with business and community leaders and learn more about the healthcare industry in our region. Students had the opportunity to meet the CEOs of Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and Mary Washington Healthcare and hear directly from healthcare leaders about the current and future needs of the healthcare workforce.
A partnership with Stafford Hospital allowed CHAMP students to tour the hospital and explore the wide variety of careers that make a healthcare organization function. Students were able to see that healthcare is much more than doctors and nurses and offers a diverse range of career pathways.
Career preparation in healthcare fields also means preparing students to take care of themselves. CHAMP students participated in a Youth Mental Health Conference hosted by Mental Health America of Fredericksburg, where they gained practical tools to support their mental well-being, develop healthy coping strategies, and build confidence in themselves and their future. As future healthcare professionals, students must understand the importance of mental wellness for not only their patients, but for themselves.
Through our partnership with the University of Mary Washington Department of Biological Sciences, CHAMP Biomedical Science students had the opportunity to use PowerLab technology to collect and analyze physiological data. Students explored knee-jerk reflex, muscle grip force and fatigue, reaction times, and electrocardiograms (ECGs), connecting concepts learned in the classroom to authentic scientific investigation. This hands-on experience gave students a glimpse into data, technology, and critical thinking to better understand the human body.
We are incredibly grateful to the organizations, healthcare professionals, educators, business leaders, and community partners who continue to invest their time, expertise, and support in our CHAMP students. The CHAMP Center looks forward to continuing to build partnerships that inspire curiosity, create meaningful connections, and provide unique, engaging experiences that prepare our students to become the next generation of healthcare professionals. Together, we can help students discover their passions and see that there is a place for them in the healthcare field.
Are you a community or business partner interested in supporting CHAMP? We would love to connect with organizations interested in joining our advisory board, sharing their expertise, providing mentorship, or creating unique in-class or out-of-class experiences for our students. Please contact Dr. Michelle Parr, CHAMP Center Coordinator: [email protected]
The Leadership, Education, and Public Service (LEAPS) Specialty Center at Mountain View High School is shaping Stafford’s future workforce by blending rigorous coursework with hands-on, real-world career readiness. Through specialized, multi-year pathways in Education, Law, Criminal Justice, and Community Leadership, students gain high-value certifications, dual-enrollment college credits, and essential skills in communication, problem-solving, and project management. Driven by the LEAPS Advisory Committee and regional partnerships with organizations like Germanna Community College, the University of Mary Washington, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, and representatives from local, state, and federal government, LEAPS connects students directly to the community. By aligning classroom instruction and targeting field experiences with regional labor needs, LEAPS Center graduates will drive our local economy forward as skilled, community-minded leaders.
The ASCENT Specialty Center at North Stafford High School prepares students for high-demand careers through four specialized pathways starting in Grade 9: Aerospace and Advanced Air Mobility, Geospatial Technologies, Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management, and Sustainable Energy Systems. By combining rigorous academic coursework with hands-on learning, capstone projects, and industry credentials—such as the FAA Part 107 License, GIS Fundamentals Foundation, and Certified Logistics Technician 4.0—the center equips students for post-secondary degrees and regional workforce opportunities. To ensure coursework remains directly aligned with industry standards, ASCENT is currently recruiting community and business leaders for its upcoming Advisory Committee to support curriculum enrichment, student internships, and regional workforce advocacy. Interested business partners can get involved by contacting [email protected].
The Business and Information Technology (BIT) Center at Colonial Forge High School is a career-focused specialty center designed to prepare students for success in their chosen career pathways. Through engagement with industry and community business partners, students gain meaningful exposure to real-world professionals, workplace expectations, and career opportunities.
The BIT Center continues to modernize and strengthen its industry-aligned career pathways through the guidance and support of an advisory committee of industry professionals. The Center offers pathways in Cybersecurity, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Business IT, and Data Analytics. Students have opportunities to develop both technical and professional skills through hands-on projects, pathway clubs, guest speakers, industry experiences, and innovative learning opportunities within the Center’s Makerspace, and professional LMSs such as the CompTIA platform.”