Ignite College and Career Academy

What Ignite College and Career Academy does

Ignite College and Career Academy is a public, state-funded Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) institution operating as a school-within-a-school at Sumter County High School in Americus, Georgia. Founded through a 2017 steering committee led by Sumter County Schools alongside One Sumter, South Georgia Technical College, Georgia Southwestern State University, the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, and the Sumter County Development Authority, the academy received a $3 million establishment grant from the Technical College System of Georgia in December 2018, opened in a 120,000 square-foot dedicated facility on eight acres in August 2021, and is governed operationally as part of the Sumter County School District. The academy serves 10th-12th grade students of Sumter County High School with no application, GPA, or prerequisite requirements, and concurrently serves local business and industry partners seeking workforce pipeline development.

The academic product comprises 13 CTAE pathways (Animal Science, Agriculture Mechanics Systems, Horticulture Mechanical Systems, Arts/A/V Technology and Communications, Business Management and Administration, Education and Training, Healthcare, Hospitality and Tourism, Information Technology, JROTC, Marketing, STEM, and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics), supplemented by a new Entrepreneurship program built on University of Georgia J.W. Fanning Institute curriculum, dual enrollment partnerships with South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University, and a Work-Based Learning program connecting students with 63+ business partners for job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, and mentoring. The technology stack is built on YouScience for 8th-grade career aptitude assessment, Infinite Campus for student information, and GaFutures.org for the dual enrollment course directory. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems; the assessment engines are licensed third-party tools.

The business model is non-commercial in the venture sense. Revenue is sourced from State of Georgia education appropriations (fully funding dual enrollment tuition, college fees, and textbooks up to 30 semester hours per student), the original $3 million Technical College System of Georgia grant, the Sumter County School District operating budget, donations via PayPal, and in-kind contributions from business partners (cash, equipment, volunteer training). Go-to-market is hybrid: open enrollment at SCHS registration serves student acquisition with no marketing budget, while CEO Josh Drew conducts direct outreach to local employers for workforce development partnerships. The academy has 6 disclosed employees and no publicly reported revenue.

Name

Ignite College and Career Academy

Legal name

Ignite College and Career Academy

Website

https://ignitecca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ignite College and Career Academy is a state-funded public CTAE school-within-a-school at Sumter County High School in Americus, Georgia, serving 10th-12th grade students with 13 career pathways, dual enrollment at South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University, and Work-Based Learning placements with 63+ local business partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career and Technical Education

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Junior Colleges (611210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Career technical education
• Dual enrollment programs
• Workforce development training
• Career pathway education
• Work-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Americus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Education: Ignite College and Career Academy is a public education institution funded by the State of Georgia. All dual enrollment college coursework is fully funded by the State of Georgia up to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. Students are not required to pay out of pocket for tuition, college fees, or textbooks.
2. Government Grants: The Technical College System of Georgia approved a $3 million grant to establish Ignite CCA in December 2018.
3. Donations: Organization accepts donations through PayPal. Business partners have also committed cash, equipment, and volunteer training opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ignite College and Career Academy is a public school-within-a-school at Sumter County High School that delivers Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathways, free state-funded dual enrollment college courses, and work-based learning experiences to high school students. The academy partners with 135 local businesses whose employer needs assessment identified 87 specific jobs to fill, allowing students to earn up to 30 free college credit hours, industry certifications, and work experience before high school graduation.

Product overview

Ignite College and Career Academy is a school-within-a-school at Sumter County High School offering a unified portfolio of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) pathways combined with dual enrollment college programs and work-based learning opportunities. The academy provides 13 distinct CTAE career pathway programs (Animal Science, Agriculture Mechanics, Horticulture, Arts/A/V Technology, Business Management, Education & Training, Healthcare, Hospitality & Tourism, Information Technology, JROTC, Marketing, STEM, and Transportation), supplemented by Dual Enrollment partnerships with South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University for free college credit, and a Work-Based Learning program connecting students with 63+ business partners for real-world experience. All pathways integrate academic knowledge with technical skills and soft skills/work ethic training, with the goal of producing job-ready graduates for Sumter County's regional workforce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animal Science Pathway Agricultural education pathway covering animal science concepts and practical skills for careers in livestock and animal husbandry, offered to Sumter County High School students as part of CTAE programming.
• Agriculture Mechanics Systems Pathway Technical training pathway in agricultural mechanics including equipment operation, maintenance, and repair for students pursuing careers in agricultural technology.
• Horticulture Mechanical Systems Pathway Education pathway combining horticulture practices with mechanical systems for greenhouse and plant production operations, preparing students for careers in horticulture industries.
• Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Pathway Creative arts and media technology pathway including Audio Video Technology and Film production for students pursuing careers in arts, audio/visual technology, and communications.
• Business Management and Administration Pathway Business and technology education pathway covering entrepreneurship and business operations management, including Business and Technology coursework for students pursuing business careers.
• Education and Training Pathway Teacher preparation pathway including Early Childhood Care and Education and Teaching as a Profession coursework for students pursuing careers in education.
• Healthcare Pathway Health science career preparation pathway including Allied Health and Medicine, Patient Care, and Pharmacy programs for students pursuing healthcare careers.
• Hospitality and Tourism Pathway Culinary arts and hospitality management training pathway for careers in food service and tourism industries.
• Information Technology Pathway Digital technology education pathway covering Web and Digital Design skills for students pursuing IT careers.
• JROTC (Army) Pathway Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program providing leadership training and military education for students.
• Marketing Pathway Marketing and management education pathway for students pursuing careers in marketing, sales, and business development.
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Pathway Engineering and technology education pathway preparing students for STEM careers through applied science and engineering coursework.
• Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Pathway Automotive maintenance and repair training pathway covering Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair for students pursuing transportation careers.
• Dual Enrollment Opportunities Partnership with South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University allowing students to earn free college credits (up to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours) while in high school. Includes Barbering, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, and Culinary programs.
• Work-Based Learning (WBL) Program "Earn While You Learn" program connecting students with 63 business partners for job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships, field trips, mentoring experiences, and classroom presentations.
• Entrepreneurship Program New pathway building on University of Georgia's J.W. Fanning Institute curriculum, Foundation for Economic Education content, and college programs from South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University to foster self-made entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students can earn up to 30 free college credit hours while in high school
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Sumter County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2017Primary host district providing the physical location and student population. Ignite operates as a school-within-a-school at Sumter County High School.
• South Georgia Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical college partner for dual enrollment and career training. Students may earn certifications making them instantly employable. Initial steering committee member.
• Georgia Southwestern State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for dual enrollment programs allowing students to earn college credits for free while in high school.
• One Sumter (Sumter County Economic Development Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit economic development foundation that is a founding steering committee member supporting the CCA model.
• Americus-Sumter County Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding steering committee member representing local business community interests.
• Sumter County Development AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development authority and founding steering committee member representing county development interests.
• 135 Business Partners (Needs Assessment Respondents)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partners who completed the employer needs assessment identifying 87 specific major jobs and workforce needs. Represented by Board of Directors with local industry leaders.
• 102 Business Partners (Letters of Commitment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partners who signed Letters of Commitment to support the CCA with cash, equipment, and volunteer training opportunities.
• 63 Work-Based Learning PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partners providing volunteers for classroom presentations, mentoring, summer externships for teachers, field trips, job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships.
• 70 Career Counseling Business PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partners who volunteered to support middle school and high school students through organized career counseling and mentoring programs.
• 31 Teacher Externship PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partners providing teacher externships to help educators understand real-world workforce applications.
• Phoebe Sumter Medical CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner represented on Board of Directors by Michelle Doggett. Supports healthcare pathway programs.
• ImerysmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner represented on Board of Directors by Dave Tucker. Supports workforce development and training programs.
• University of Georgia J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides curriculum development support for the Entrepreneurship pathway.
• YouSciencecoreTechnology or IntegrationCareer assessment platform used by all Sumter County students in 8th grade. Produces 36-page reports to guide career planning and Individual Graduation Plans.
• Magnolia ManorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Ivy Oliver (Board Chairman).
• Windsor HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Frank Ceresoli.
• Whaley RealtyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Jimmy Whaley.
• TSG-ResoluteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Scott Nix.
• J. Nicole Sinclair LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Jessica Sinclair.
• NEOSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Rob Collins.
• Southwest Georgia Children's AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Alicia Ledbetter (Vice-Chairman).
• Sumter EMCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard member organization represented by Tonya Jones (Treasurer).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce development program bridging young adults to corporate careers through employer partnerships, technical skills training, and work-based learning — a comparable employer-aligned education-to-employment model.
• NAF (National Academy Foundation): National nonprofit operating career-themed academies inside high schools that integrate industry partnerships, dual enrollment, and work-based learning — the same foundational model Ignite uses, but at national scale.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technical training and job placement in IT and related fields through employer partnerships — operates a similar employer-driven, outcomes-oriented model focused on bridging education to careers.

Regional players

• Central Georgia Technical College: Georgia technical college within the Technical College System of Georgia offering similar dual enrollment, technical credentials, and workforce pathways; operates in adjacent Georgia counties and competes for the same state-level dual enrollment dollars.
• Albany Technical College: Southwest Georgia technical college offering dual enrollment, technical training, and adult education programs that compete for the same regional workforce development mandate and state funding pool.
• Wiregrass Georgia Technical College: Georgia technical college offering comparable dual enrollment, CTAE-aligned programs, and industry credentialing pathways in a neighboring region of the state.

Direct peers

• South Georgia Technical College: Regional technical college in Americus, Georgia that is both a dual enrollment partner and a directly comparable institution offering CTAE-aligned technical programs, certifications, and workforce training in the same geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ignite-college-and-career-academy

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ignite College and Career Academy