Career academies are schools within schools that link students with peers, teachers, and community partners in a disciplined environment, thereby fostering academic success and mental and emotional health. The career academy concept includes the following three key elements: (1) small learning communities; (2) a college preparatory curriculum with a career theme; and (3) partnerships with employers, community, and higher education. The following are among the essential components within those three areas: (1) a team of teachers who have joined the program by choice; (2) voluntary enrollment by students who are allowed to focus on a discipline of their choice; (3) academic courses that meet high school graduation and college entrance requirements; (4) common planning time for the teaching team; (5) counseling to ensure that students have postsecondary plans; (6) employers providing mentoring and job shadowing; (7) a steering committee of community partners to oversee academy operations; and (8) parental support of students' enrollment in the academy. According to a 5-year evaluation of 1,900 students and 9 career academies, career academies reduced dropout rates for at-risk students by nearly one-third, were associated with higher rates of college attendance, and provided at-risk youth with opportunities to set goals and reach academic and professional objectives that may have been otherwise unattainable. (MN)