Where Culture Meets Opportunity: Potomac Falls High School and ACCESS Academy
January 20, 2026
At Potomac Falls High School, a strong, student-centered culture serves as the foundation for innovation, opportunity and partnership. That culture is reflected in ACCESS Academy, a collaborative program that blends secondary education, college readiness and career-connected learning into a seamless four-year experience through a partnership among George Mason University, Loudoun County Public Schools and Northern Virginia Community College.
Potomac Falls High School’s commitment to high expectations and meaningful pathways was recently affirmed when the school was named one of just 13 high schools nationwide and the only school in Virginia designated a Model School by the Center for Model Schools. The recognition highlights schools that demonstrate exceptional leadership, positive culture and instructional practices that translate into real student outcomes.
For Potomac Falls, ACCESS Academy is not separate from that success. It is strengthened by it and, in turn, helps elevate it.
“ACCESS Academy aligns perfectly with our vision for Potomac Falls High School, and I fully support the opportunities it creates for our students,” said Dr. Tara Woolever, principal of Potomac Falls High School. “This partnership allows us to build on our strong culture while opening new doors for students to engage in advanced academics, college-level learning and career-connected experiences.”
ACCESS Academy: An Integrated Pathway from High School to What’s Next
ACCESS Academy’s intentionally designed integrated continuum, as it grows, will further progress students’ learning as their skills are increasingly applied and future-focused. Geographically positioned in the largest concentration of data centers globally, handling approximately 70% of the world’s internet traffic through “Data Center Alley,” the academy’s specialized information technology and cybersecurity content offers students opportunities to earn optional, stackable industry credentials aligned with workforce needs in their own backyard and beyond.
“Our students aren’t just earning credits,” Woolever said. “They’re learning how to think, design, collaborate and solve problems in ways that mirror college-level and industry expectations.”
Strengthening School and Community Through Partnership
Because ACCESS Academy is embedded within Potomac Falls High School, students are fully engaged members of the broader school community. They contribute to classrooms, clubs, service initiatives and collaborative learning spaces, bringing with them a future-focused mindset shaped by their work with George Mason University and industry partners. That exchange benefits everyone.
“ACCESS students raise the level of conversation and collaboration across our school,” Woolever said. “They bring curiosity, leadership and real-world perspective that strengthen our learning environment for all students.”
Together, Potomac Falls High School and Loudoun County Public Schools, Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University are demonstrating what’s possible when strong school culture and higher education partnerships align around a shared vision: preparing students not only for college and careers but for meaningful, adaptable futures.