About the Academies
The Academies of the Southwest Valley connect Agua Fria High School District students with local employers and community organizations — building real workforce experience while students are still in high school.
What are the Academies?
The Academies of the Southwest Valley is a workforce initiative connecting AFHSD students to the business community. Across seven high schools (including Hilltop School for the Arts, opening fall 2026), career pathways are organized into three academies:
- Academy of Science, Service & Innovation (SSI) — healthcare, public service, agriculture, engineering pathways
- Academy of Business, Design & Technology (BDT) — marketing, design, software, construction, media pathways
- Academy of Creative Arts & Media (CAM) — film, performing arts, visual arts, live production pathways
Students choose pathways that fit their interests, take aligned coursework, and connect with industry partners through guest speakers, advisory councils, internships, job shadows, and tours. Our partners are the missing ingredient that makes classroom learning click. You don’t need to commit to a year-long program — even an hour as a guest speaker counts.
How partnership grows
The district frames partner engagement around four steps:
Connect
Build the relationship. We learn about your organization — the starting point for everything that follows.
Confer
Discuss and align. We talk through where your goals and students’ needs meet, and shape a partnership that fits.
Commit
Take action and ownership. You take on opportunities aligned to your industry, your team, and the schools that fit best.
Celebrate
Recognize success and results. We recognize and thank partners for the impact they make on student outcomes.
Why partner?
- Help shape the workforce you’ll be hiring from in 1–5 years.
- Mentor students in your industry — sharing what you wish you knew at their age.
- Bring real-world context to topics that feel abstract in a textbook.
- Build your organization’s presence in the Southwest Valley.
- Fulfill community-engagement goals with measurable impact.
Common questions
How much time does this take?
It scales with what you can commit. A guest-speaker visit is one hour. An advisory seat is a quarterly two-hour meeting. Workplace tours are usually 60–90 minutes. Internships are a semester. You decide where to start.
Do I need a signed agreement to do anything?
No. You can speak to a class, host a tour, or attend an event without one. A signed partnership agreement is only required for formal, ongoing relationships — we’ll walk you through it when it’s the right time.
Who follows up after I submit interest?
The district’s partner lead reviews every submission, then routes you to the academy coach whose pathways best match your interests. Expect first contact within two business days.
What does the district do with my contact info?
We use it to connect you with the right academy coach and to send event invitations you opted into. We don’t share partner information outside of AFHSD staff and the state SchoolLinks system used to track work-based learning.
Can I attend an event without committing to be a partner?
Absolutely. Most events on our calendar are open to anyone interested in the Academies — RSVP and come see what the work looks like first-hand.
What if my organization isn’t in one of the three academies?
Pick “Other / not sure” or “Not sure yet” on the interest form. The partner lead routes every lead, and creative cross-pathway connections are often the most valuable.
Ready to start?
Tell us a little about your organization — takes under three minutes.