December 1, 2022 - On behalf of the Monroe County Board of Education, we are pleased to announce the establishment of the MPower College & Career Academy. The Technical College System of Georgia has awarded Monroe County Schools a grant totaling $3.1 million to create the new academy.
“This new partnership will provide needed resources, classroom space, and skills training in a state of the art facility for students, staff, and the community as we work to meet the workforce needs of today and the future.” says Dr. Mike Hickman, Superintendent of Monroe County Schools.
The MPower College & Career Academy will work in partnership with Central Georgia Technical College and Gordon State College to offer career training for Monroe County and Crawford County students and community members. The programs offered will be centered around three workforce need areas identified by local employers in and around Monroe County. The Academy will expand Mary Persons High School’s CTAE Pathways in the areas of Logistics, Manufacturing, Health Sciences, and Communication.
Monroe County Schools would like to thank the members of the steering committee for their work during the grant application process. We would also like to thank the dozens of businesses that submitted letters of support for the project. That support contributed to the selection of Monroe County for the new academy.
Monroe County Schools will construct a new campus to house both the career academy and the freshman campus. We anticipate opening the College and Career Academy in the Fall of 2024. The addition of this facility will bring the number of College and Career Academies in Georgia to 57. More than 40,000 students are already enrolled in College and Career Academies throughout the state.
Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the grants for Monroe and Dooly Counties today. "These new academies will open doors for hardworking Georgians to pursue new opportunities and grow their skillset so that they find success in the No. 1 state for business," said Governor Kemp. "As we continue to see unprecedented levels of job creation and investment in the Peach State, we know we need to expand our workforce to sustain our position as the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Innovative approaches like these academies will help us do that."