Florence City Schools (AL)

Helping students find their futures: The Launch Program is an apprentice program that was designed to help students find their futures of tomorrow. The program connects students with a business or industry partner based on their passion and talents. Through the Launch, students are able to learn more about a profession and determine fit. On the other side, businesses and industries are able to interact with the incoming pipeline of talent. The program demonstrates that high school seniors, and some juniors, are work-ready, intelligent, collaborative, and ready to work. It is a win for today and tomorrow.

Establishing an Early College program: The district’s Early College program is a rarity in Alabama, which does not have a state-led, Early College program. This vision was born out of a shortage of nurses in the region and a visit to the Pharr-San Juan Independent School District in Texas. The program places students with future employers.

Robust arts education: The Florence Academy of Fine Arts (FAFA) program gives students in grades 5-12 the opportunity to take courses in dance, orchestra, band, photography, digital animation, piano, oil painting, sound engineering, songwriting, guitar, stage band, and stagecraft, to name a few. The experiences are provided at no direct cost to students and their families