ACCESS Academy

ACCESS Academy students refurbish computers to serve their community

Katarina Benson — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:44:57 +0000

ACCESS Academy students refurbish computers to serve their community Katarina Benson Tue, 06/16/2026 - 09:44

When Raihan Mahmood joined 911��’s Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy, he was looking for more than a traditional high school experience. Drawn to the opportunity to earn college credit, collaborate with industry professionals, and engage in authentic learning experiences, Mahmood quickly found himself making a real difference.

ACCESS Academy students setting up laptops for Loudoun County Public Schools. Photo provided

This spring, a computer refurbishment project challenged ACCESS Academy students to prepare 100 used laptops for distribution to Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) graduating seniors and other learners in need. Mahmood jumped on the project, excited to have an opportunity to combine his technical skills with helping others.

Mahmood and the other students installed operating systems, reimaged devices, and ensured the computers were functioning properly so they could be distributed.

The work required careful attention to detail. Every device had to be tested and verified, making quality control one of the most challenging aspects of the process. Along the way, students gained valuable technical skills.

The project also reflected the core mission of ACCESS Academy, which emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world applications. The academy is an innovative partnership between 911��’s College of Education and Human Development, LCPS, and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) based in Northern Virginia for students in grades 9-12. This program is designed to give students a no-cost alternative educational pathway that expands access to information technology (IT) education and skills essential for IT careers.

The opportunity allowed students to help their community while learning technical skills. Photo provided

“For ACCESS Academy students, opportunities like these provide meaningful exposure to professional environments and help build the technical, communication, and problem-solving skills needed for future careers," said Jeremy Shughart, ACCESS Academy coordinator for LCPS. “This was an incredible opportunity for our students to apply their skills in a real-world setting while supporting and connecting with local Loudoun County students.”

Unlike traditional classroom assignments, the refurbishment project allowed students to see the direct impact of their work while gaining experience that is already shaping their future interests and career goals.

Mahmood said one of the biggest surprises about ACCESS Academy has been how quickly students become immersed in real-world projects and college-level coursework. The experience reinforced an important lesson about the role technology plays in education and everyday life. Mahmood believes access to technology is essential for learning, communication, and collaboration, and he hopes the students who receive the computers will be able to use them to pursue their educational goals and opportunities.

Hands-on learning is a key tenet of ACCESS Academy. Photo provided

"Seeing the laptops being distributed was probably the moment I felt most proud," Mahmood said. "We were able to take something we worked on and put it directly into the hands of people who could benefit from it."

More than anything, he hopes his experience demonstrates what students can accomplish when they are trusted with meaningful opportunities.

"Even high school students can make a difference if they are given the right opportunity," he said.

For Mahmood and his ACCESS Academy classmates, the project was more than simply repairing laptops. It was discovering the power of applying their skills to solve real problems, support their communities, and create opportunities for others.

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In its first year, ACCESS Academy doubles applications and delivers strong academic results

ckearney — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:44:46 +0000

In its first year, ACCESS Academy doubles applications and delivers strong academic results ckearney Thu, 03/26/2026 - 15:44

In its first year, 911��’s Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy is already demonstrating strong indicators of demand, academic rigor, and early student achievement. Interest in the program has grown rapidly. For the 2026-27 admissions cycle, ACCESS received 387 applications from ninth graders, double the 193 applications submitted the previous year.

With only 30 seats available for the incoming ninth-grade cohort, the program has quickly become one of the most selective emerging innovation pathways in the region. Participation in the program allows advanced freshmen in high school to take college classes.

In December, ACCESS Academy students demonstrated projects and discussed their experiences with then-Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera in a robotics lab at Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Early academic outcomes among the inaugural cohort also reflect the program’s rigor. The current ninth-grade ACCESS Academy class maintains an average GPA of 3.72, demonstrating strong performance across a curriculum that integrates advanced technical coursework with core high school instruction. These early indicators highlight the momentum behind the academy and the role of 911�� and its College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) in developing research-informed, workforce-aligned learning models for secondary education.

One of the most significant milestones for the academy this year is the launch of its first dual enrollment course. Thirty-seven ACCESS Academy ninth-graders are currently enrolled in a Python programming course offered through Northern Virginia Community College. Introducing a college-level computing course at the ninth-grade level represents an acceleration point within the academy’s academic pathway, providing students with foundational programming skills relevant to software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data science.

Potomac Falls High School teacher Matt Wax, one of the academy instructors, said launching a new academic model required both flexibility and innovation in instructional practice. “Because the program is brand new, there aren’t many existing resources to draw from,” Wax said. “We’ve had to adapt instruction in real time, creating opportunities for students to think outside the box while adjusting expectations and course design as the program evolves.”

Early implementation has also highlighted the collaborative learning environment developing among students. While some ninth-graders are adjusting to the rigor of college-level coursework, Wax noted that peer support has become an important element of the classroom culture. “It’s been encouraging to see students who are doing well step up to help classmates who are struggling,” he said. “That willingness to support one another is one of the most positive outcomes so far.”

In addition to rigorous coursework, ACCESS students are already engaging in technical and professional learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Last fall, 31 ACCESS Academy students attended the BSidesNoVA Cyber Security/Hacker Conference, where they participated in sessions focused on cybersecurity tools, ethical hacking, and emerging digital threats. Participation in professional cybersecurity conferences at the ninth-grade level represents a distinctive feature of the academy’s early exposure model.

In the summer of 2025, ACCESS Academy offered an AI Camp to 9th through 12th graders at Fuse at Mason Square. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Thirty ACCESS students participated in Virginia CyberSlam 2026, an event sponsored by 911��’s Cyber Security Engineering Department and Loudoun County Public Schools. The event challenged students to apply cybersecurity concepts in simulated threat-response scenarios and collaborative problem-solving environments.

ACCESS students have also had opportunities to present their learning to state-level education leaders. During a recent visit to Fuse at Mason Square, students demonstrated projects and discussed their experiences with former Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, providing visibility for the academy’s instructional model and student work.

At the curricular level, ACCESS Academy is emerging as a leader within Virginia’s expanding lab school network through its use of problem-based learning as core instructional framework. Rather than relying on traditional lecture-based instruction, students engage with complex, real-world problems that require research, collaboration, and iterative design. This curriculum model, developed with support from CEHD faculty, is attracting statewide attention.

Faculty affiliated with the program will present the ACCESS Academy curriculum framework at the upcoming Innovation Summit hosted by Old Dominion University, highlighting how the academy integrates computing education, interdisciplinary learning, and research-based instructional design.

For instructors, one of the most notable aspects of the program has been the diversity of students who have chosen to participate. Wax observed that the inaugural cohort includes a wide range of ability levels, interests, and backgrounds, creating opportunities for varied perspectives within collaborative learning environments. The program’s rapid growth in applications reflects the special opportunities it provides, he added.

“ACCESS offers opportunities free of charge that many students might not otherwise have access to,” he said. “For students who are looking for something different from a traditional model of schooling, it offers an accelerated and more professionally oriented pathway.”

“What we’re seeing with ACCESS Academy is early evidence of what becomes possible when we design learning as a connected pathway rather than a series of disconnected experiences,” explained Ingrid Guerra-Lopez, dean of CEHD, who led the vision and design of ACCESS Academy. “ACCESS is giving us a living platform to study and continuously improve how teaching and learning can better prepare students for the complexity of the future. This model invites us to rethink readiness not as something that begins after high school, but as something we intentionally build across the entire educational ecosystem.”

This initiative supports the Advancing 21st-Century Education for All solution of 911��'s Grand Challenge Initiative

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ACCESS Academy’s inaugural AI Summer Camp builds critical technology skills—and miniature robots

sholla4 — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:38:25 +0000

ACCESS Academy’s inaugural AI Summer Camp builds critical technology skills—and miniature robots sholla4 Wed, 08/06/2025 - 09:38

In the kitchenette on the third floor of Fuse at Mason Square, students huddle around laptops and inspect the codes on display in their Microsoft MakeCode programs. By their sides are little micro:bit three-wheeled robots. One sings a little 8-bit tune. Another flashes a pattern of colored lights. Another chirps like a bird, as the students at the table share a perplexed look.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

These high school students have spent the past week working on their robots, from assembly to coding, to make them do basic tasks like follow a provided track. Now, they’re each trying to do something new: make it go faster, sing a song, drive in reverse, or flash its lights like a turn signal. With every spin-out, slow-motion crash, or odd sound, the students return to their laptops to reprogram the bot and try again. If one student is struggling, they turn to their peers. Together, they’re making the robots work.

This is the inaugural ACCESS Academy Artificial Intelligence Summer Camp. Open to all 9th—12th graders across Virginia, the camp runs three one-week sessions at the ACCESS Academy headquarters in Fuse at Mason Square. Through hands-on exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, students can imagine and begin preparing for technology-sector careers. Only in its first year, the camp already has 130 total participants over the course of three sessions.

"The goal of ACCESS Academy is to create a more inclusive pathway to college and high-demand careers for students who may not have previously seen those opportunities as within reach,” said Dean Ingrid Guerra-López of 911��’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

“We continue to hear from industries that we are not preparing our high school graduates to be employable,” said Roberto Pamas, professor of education leadership and director of the ACCESS Academy. Prior to his transition to teaching higher education, Pamas served 30 years in Fairfax County Public Schools as both an educator and an administrator. “They want both technology skills and soft skills. How to collaborate, how to communicate: we’re building those skills in these programs. And CEHD is in the business of teaching, learning, and leading.”

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

AI was a natural choice for the camp’s curriculum. Working with faculty from the College of Engineering and Computing, the CEHD ACCESS Academy team developed a five-day program to build foundational skills to set students up for success.

The first four days of the camp focus on conceptual understanding and real-world applications of those ideas. On Friday, guest speakers from local education innovation technology company Kovexa engaged with students as part of a tinkering lab.

“AI represents a cutting-edge field and a dynamic problem space where students can practice essential skills such as critical thinking, ethical reasoning, collaboration, and problem-solving,” said Guerra-López. “It’s not just about coding, but about asking better questions, evaluating outputs, and imaging new possibilities.”

The students agree.

Mariia Tkach (center) tests her robot on the track. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“I really like the atmosphere of people coming together and doing the things that they love,” said Mariia Tkach, a rising sophomore at Marshall High School. Her father works in cybersecurity, and she hopes to follow in his footsteps. “We had an AI training, and it was very challenging. The process of figuring it out and competing with one another was fun.”

Arkash Reith, who is entering his sophomore year at Evergreen Christian School, said, “This camp gave me experience in what AI can help you do as well as what it can’t help you do. Like, with coding, it can help with basic stuff, but nothing too hard.”

After each day, students write down one word to describe their experience. From this first week, the white board is filled with words like “fun,” “inspiring,” and “fascinating.”

Guerra-López envisions the bootcamp not only as a hands-on learning experience for students, but as a launchpad for expanding access to AI education across the region.

“The tinkering lab model in particular is a powerful way to reduce anxiety around emerging technologies, increase skill and self-efficacy for both students and educators, and foster a stronger sense of community around innovation,” she said.

Plans are underway to explore how this model can scale—both to offer more advanced learning tracks for students and to engage educators in professional development that supports responsible, inclusive digital innovation.

“911�� is a keeper of knowledge for Northern Virginia,” Pamas said. “And I believe it is our moral imperative to share that knowledge, particularly with students who otherwise might not have access to higher education.”

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In its first year, ACCESS Academy doubles applications and delivers strong academic results

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ACCESS Academy’s inaugural AI Summer Camp builds critical technology skills—and miniature robots

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