Signature Programs at each of our twelve comprehensive high schools offer students opportunities to learn about and experience college while still in high school. Our college partners sit side by side with business and industry partners to lead our Signature Programs.  Many high school students, especially those who may be the first in their family to attend college, find planning for college to be an arduous task that often proves to be very daunting.  With collaboration from our college partners, we weave college awareness into our Signature Program offerings to increase students’ familiarity with the college experience and lower the college accessibility bar.  Signature truly helps our students become both college and career ready.

Some examples of opportunities that our college partners lead and support are noted below:

• Curriculum Design and Module Writing
• Guest Speaking in High School Classes
• Interviewing Students for Mock Job Opportunities
• Sponsoring Field Experiences
• Offering Job Shadow Opportunities
• Mentoring Students
• Providing Internships
• Teaching and Co-Teaching Courses Inside our High Schools
• Leading Co-Curricular Clubs
• Providing Socratic Seminars
• Sponsoring Competitions
• Offering Math Circles
• Hosting College and Career Fairs for Students and their Families

The following list includes, but is not limited to these two-year and four-year college partners who participate in the leadership, curriculum development, and events of our AACPS Signature Programs:

• Anne Arundel Community College (AACC)
• Capitol Technical University (CapTech)
• St. John’s College (SJC)
• Towson University (TU)
• University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
• University of Maryland College Park (UMD)
• United States Naval Academy (USNA)