The academy is a smaller learning community that focuses on a career theme and is integrated into students’ studies, including their core curriculum courses. Each year, the same group (cohort) of academy students takes a Career and Technical Education course aligned with the career theme and one or more core classes together. This school-within-a-school model may be either a three- or four-year academy.

Each academy student participates in several work-based learning activities, such as job shadowing, career fairs, career-themed industry tours, and an internship. Academy students are prepared to participate in these experiences through their cohort academy courses. Each academy student must do an internship between the junior and senior years related to the academy theme. The internship requires 120 hours.