Mayor Bowser Highlights Record Demand for Advanced Technical Centers and Planned Expansion to Prepare Even More DC Students for High-Demand Careers

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) highlighted surging demand for the District's Advanced Technical Centers (ATCs), highlighting growing student interest in this high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. For the 2026-27 school year, nearly 1,000 students applied to attend one of the two ATC campuses and pursue training in the high-wage, in-demand fields of healthcare and cybersecurity. Data gathered since the opening of the first ATC shows that the center has consistently delivered successful outcomes, with hundreds of students graduating at rates higher than their peers, earning industry-recognized credentials and thousands of college credits, and saving their families millions of dollars in tuition.

"The Advanced Technical Centers have allowed us to bring high-quality resources together to create modern learning opportunities for students across our city," said Mayor Bowser. "And they're working. Our ATC students have higher graduation rates and better attendance rates, they earn free college credits, and they get on early pathways into high-demand fields in healthcare and cybersecurity. That's good for students, their families, and employers in DC. And when we have a program this successful, we want to scale it up and make it available to even more young people."

In response to demand, Mayor Bowser's Fiscal Year 2027 Grow DC Budget includes a $4.6 million investment to expand ATC access, allowing the program to serve an additional 150 students and launch new career pathways, including dental assisting. The proposed budget also transitions ATC funding to a per-pupil model through the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula (UPSFF), creating a stable and sustainable funding structure that recognizes ATCs as embedded within the public education system.

The continued success and planned expansion of the ATCs builds on the District's long-term strategy to reimagine high school, expand career pathways, and deliver measurable results for students across Washington, DC. Since launching in the 2022-23 school year, enrollment has grown from 96 students across four DC Public Schools (DCPS) and four public charter schools to 370 students in 2025-26, now drawing participants from 12 DCPS and 13 public charter schools. The ATC expansion has been made possible through partnerships with healthcare and higher education partners, the American Federation of Teachers, and philanthropy to support startup costs.

Sixty percent of ATC participants are identified as at-risk-above the citywide rate of 50%. Moreover, ATCs are open-enrollment programs that require no testing or minimum GPA requirements. Participation spans all wards, with the highest representation from Ward 7 (30.54%) and Ward 8 (23.51%), followed by Ward 5 (16.22%) and Ward 4 (12.16%).

ATCs provide one of the only career training pathways for public charter students and DCPS students at schools without in-house healthcare or cybersecurity CTE programs. ATC pathways include paid internships, industry-recognized credentials, four high school credits, and up to 26 tuition-free college credits through partnerships with local colleges (University of the District of Columbia and Trinity Washington University) and employers. The programs offered were intentionally developed to fill a gap in career preparation, particularly for students who have historically been underserved and who otherwise would not have access to resource-intensive and high-value programming. The Ward 8 ATC, for example, is the only location in Ward 8 offering healthcare CTE programs.

ATCs are producing strong outcomes across key measures:

• Attendance rates for ATC students are nearly 7 percentage points higher than non-participants.
• CTE program concentrators, including ATC students, in SY 24-25 graduated at a 99% rate.
• In the first three years, 400 students earned nearly 4,700 college credits, saving families approximately $3 million in tuition.
• Students earned more than 250 industry-recognized credentials in fields including healthcare and cybersecurity.

"What makes the ATCs so powerful is that students can see their future taking shape in real time," said State Superintendent Antoinette Mitchell. "They are earning college credits, completing industry credentials, and stepping into clinical and technical environments where they know they belong. These programs were designed to remove barriers and expand opportunity - and they are doing exactly that. We are proud to grow this work so that more students from every ward can access life-changing pathways into careers that matter."

"The Advanced Technical Centers show what is possible when we invest in students. We give young people access to hands-on learning, industry-recognized credentials, and real pathways into high-demand careers - often before they graduate high school," said Raymond Weeden, Executive Director of Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School. "These are not extras; they are exactly the kinds of opportunities that keep students engaged and connected to their future. Our students - regardless of sector - should have access to them."

Nursing pathways at the ATC are supported by key DC healthcare providers. Following a capital investment of approximately $24 million, the Ward 5 ATC will be welcoming a pediatric urgent care clinic and primary care office developed in partnership with Children's National Hospital and MedStar Health. Opening their doors in FY27, these healthcare facilities will have the dual benefit of offering medical care to a community that is designated as a healthcare professional shortage area and expanding hands-on learning opportunities for students. In addition, the cybersecurity pathway prepares students for well-paying, entry-level IT roles through partnerships with industry, including the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer, to build a homegrown pipeline of well-prepared tech talent.

The Ward 8 ATC is located at the Whitman-Walker Health Max Robinson Center on the St. Elizabeths East Campus, strengthening our healthcare talent pipeline East of the River. The long-term lease has been executed, and construction on the permanent space is now underway thanks to $4.2 million awarded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Programming at the campus offers general nursing credits, as well as Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant pathways.

"Advanced Technical Centers are a critical engine for building the next generation of healthcare professionals," said Jacqueline D. Bowens, President & CEO of the District of Columbia Hospital Association. "Through partnerships with hospitals and federally qualified health centers, these programs expand access and create early pathways into clinical careers, giving students meaningful, direct exposure to the field."

"What makes learning different here at the ATC is the teachers go step by step and dig deeper to make sure we understand what we're learning," said Le'lawnee Chandler, Junior at Frank Ballou Senior High School on the Ward 8 ATC EMT Pathway. "It helps me because it doesn't make me feel rushed. It lets me know that I can take my time and learn and process the information myself."

At both locations, courses are taught by college professors from Trinity Washington University and the University of the District of Columbia. And Trinity Washington University offers all ATC students a $15,000 scholarship per year to attend upon graduation.

Since 2015, the District has more than tripled the number of high schools offering CTE programs, and student participation has increased by 90 percent since 2019. ATCs build on this progress by expanding access to high-quality, career-connected learning opportunities aligned to high-demand fields across both DCPS and public charter schools.

For more information about the Advanced Technical Centers, visit careertechdc.org/atc.

Mayor Bowser X: @MayorBowser
Mayor Bowser Instagram: @Mayor_Bowser
Mayor Bowser Bluesky: @MayorBowser
Mayor Bowser Facebook: facebook.com/MayorMurielBowser
Mayor Bowser YouTube: https://www.bit.ly/eomvideos
Mayor Bowser LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mayorbowser