The mission of the Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT) is to prepare and motivate students to pursue entry into the world of work, professional programs or further education through a rigorous specialized curriculum, community-based partnerships, and field-based experiences inspiring students to be life long learners, and socially responsible adults serving society with compassion, skill, and vision.

For over three decades, the Atlantic County Institute of Technology has been preparing students with the academic and technical skills needed to successfully enter the world of work or continue their education at the college level. The Atlantic County Institute of Technology is the most comprehensive technical education facility in Atlantic County, and it is the school of choice for a diverse student body. The majority of the students who attend ACIT are high school students enrolled in our academy and shared-time programs. Students have 4 Academy and 17 career programs from which to choose. The shared-time students receive their academic instruction at one of the eight public high schools in the county, and their technical training at ACIT. In addition, approximately 1000 adults are enrolled in the ACIT Evening School. Adult learners in the evening school participate in both full and part-time technical programs.

The school is situated on a 58-acre campus in the Hamilton Township Business Park in Mays Landing, centrally located in the heart of the county. The school was constructed in 1974 and saw a major multi-million dollar renovation program in 1994 that enabled the school to upgrade existing programs as well as add a number of new programs to meet the needs of today’s workplace. In 2004, the district acquired the former Atlantic County Special Services School building, which is located on the ACIT Campus. This facility now houses the LPN program and the Atlantic County Alternative High School. Currently, the district is engaged in a comprehensive architectural and educational planning process to facilitate the growth of our technical and academic programs with the addition of a gymnasium, auditorium, additional classrooms, media center expansion, and technology labs.
Students from eight Atlantic County high schools have the opportunity to participate in the following programs in a half-day format: Auto Technology; Introduction to Auto and Diesel Technology; Diesel Technology; Auto Body; Building Technology; Introduction to Building Technology; Electrical Technology; HVAC; Computer Aided Drafting and Design; Culinary Arts; Introduction to Food Services; Dental Assisting; Medical Assisting; Intro to Health Occupations; Intro to Fashion Careers; Fashion, Decoration & Design; Plumbing and Cosmetology.

Career Academies have been phased in since 2000, to offer Atlantic County high school students the opportunity to attend ACIT full time. Career Academy students complete a comprehensive technical program as well as a rigorous academic curriculum to prepare them for college and the workplace. The first academy, the Academy of Culinary Arts/Hospitality Management provides a program of learning that reflects the trends in the culinary and hospitality industry. By the time these students are juniors, they have gained culinary and hospitality skills that are viewed by our industry partners as professional in nature. The Academy of Information Technology opened the following school year. This academy offers instruction in all aspects of the technology industry including computer applications, web design, programming, computer repair, and networking. The third academy is the Academy of Health Sciences and Medicine where students are exposed to the myriad of career opportunities in the medical field. All students are provided opportunity to graduate with industry-standard certifications. In September of 2007, ACIT opened its fourth academy, The Academy of Math, Engineering and Science. This program is designed to attract students who are interested in a challenging, creative, problem-solving type of curriculum designed to lead to a career in a wide variety of highly technical fields.

The career focused instructors are all seasoned professionals in their respective fields. The academic curriculum is contextual, challenging, and college preparatory taught by highly qualified teachers. Their understanding of the academy model is reflected in their creative lessons. Recently, our geometry teacher was awarded the New Jersey Department of Education Best Practices Award. The quality of the academic programs and commitment of the teaching staff is evidenced by the successful 2007 HSPA scores; 97% of the academy students were proficient/advanced proficient in language arts and 93% were proficient/advanced proficient in math.

Recently, ACIT was recognized as one of America’s best high schools in the December 10, 2007 issue of U.S. News and World report. In New Jersey, only 36 of 378 high schools, or 9.5%, earned a bronze or better ranking.

Through articulated Tech Prep agreements with Atlantic Cape Community College, students earn college credits for courses aligned with the college curriculum. While we have an excellent reputation for placing students in high-level positions in the workplace, an ever-growing number of our students seek advanced education. We have agreements in place with Atlantic Cape Community College that enable students in certain programs to earn college credits for work accomplished while they are at ACIT. This Tech Prep program provides up to 15 credits for students who complete one of the participating programs at ACIT and then enroll in a similar area of study at the college. This is done to save time and money in completing an Associate Degree program at ACCC. In addition, academy students are given the opportunity to earn dual credit through on-line ACCC courses in their junior year. Also, in the second semester of their senior year, eligible students are concurrently enrolled at ACCC attending all their career and academic classes on the college campus earning college credit as well as high school credit under the Option II program.

There is an articulation agreement with Camden County College as well which provides students in the dental assistant program with an opportunity to transfer the credits they earned at ACIT toward an Associate’s Degree at that institution.

Each year, students in the academy programs also participate in Job Shadowing Day, in which they spend an entire day with an employer to learn about that business and the roles of various employees therein. To further enhance their workplace experience, academy seniors are involved in a 4- week, unpaid internship in businesses throughout the county. They are immersed in hands-on, real world experiences. Examples of area industries who have welcomed our interns are The Borgata, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic County Government, Stockton College Technology Department, Atlantic City Sheraton, Tropicana, Southern Regional ETTC, the Atlantic County Library System and the Mercado Funding Group.

The Cooperative Education Program (C.I.E.) and Apprenticeship Program provide opportunities for students in the second half of their programs to work in their chosen fields in lieu of going to class each day. This on-the-job experience, learning from a skilled member of the profession, is an excellent educational experience, as well as a way for the student to gain work experience while still in school. This often leads to a job placement upon graduation as well. The following are examples: Students involved in the school’s health career programs; medical assisting, dental assisting and practical nursing, all do affiliations in various medical facilities to prepare them to enter the field upon graduation. Students in the automotive technology program can enroll in the Automotive Youth Education Systems program that matches them up with dealership service technicians who employ them and serve as mentors.

ACIT also provides an opportunity for students to be involved in various extra-curricular activities through clubs and organizations such as Skills U.S.A. /V.I.C.A., Health Occupations Students of America (H.O.S.A.) and a Student Council. Students also have the opportunity to compete in regional, state and national competitions through these organizations. In the past several years, the competing students have been so successful that they have won Gold, Silver and Bronze medals on the state level and have scored well in the national competitions. ACIT also has a chapter of the National Vocational Technical Honor Society for students who excel in their programs.

Each program also has an advisory committee made up of industry representatives to ensure that the curriculum reflects industry standards. Therefore, we have state-of-the-art technology infused throughout our academic and technical programs. Recent upgrades include the installation of a campus-wide wireless Internet system, cable-TV access in all classrooms and advanced state-of-the-art web design equipment and software. The academy advisory board also provides the job shadowing opportunities for the academy students and engages in fundraising activities to provide funds for student activities.

At the Atlantic County Institute of Technology, our goal is not only to prepare students for the world of work, but to also prepare them for continuing educational opportunities. A secondary benefit is to provide the region’s employers with skilled employees needed to make their businesses successful. We are proud of our success in meeting these goals.

La política del ministerio de educación del distrito de la escuela vocacional del condado Atlantic establece que los estudiantes pertenecientes al distrito deben de ser provistos con una igual oportunidad para que alcancen su máximo potencial a través de los programas ofrecidos en el  Instituto de tecnología del condado Atlantic. A ningún estudiante  se le debe negar el acceso o el beneficio de los programas educacionales debido a su raza, color de la piel, credo, religión, sexo, alcurnia, nacionalidad, residencia, discapacidad, o estado social o condición económica.