Executive Director's Message
Academia Avance - Moving kids forward for 20 years!
Academia Avance has operated as a public charter school in Highland Park since 2004. We offer rigorous preparation for college, with real-world experiences in a professional setting. Avance ranks high in its College Going Rate with graduates from all the campuses of the University of California system, and most of the California State universities.
The teachers at Academia Avance are committed individuals fully credentialed and authorized in their subject field. They are dedicated teachers who offer a rigorous curriculum. In addition, our students gain deep understanding from experiential learning OUTSIDE of the classroom through the Avance Workplace Education Experience (WEE) program which places seniors in professional setting internships such as Huntington Hospital, White Memorial, Miriam's Design, Audubon Center at Debs Park, Chinatown Service Center, Union Station Homeless Service, South Pasadena Unified School District Art Program, Homeboy Industries, Mi Dentista.
At Avance, excellence isn’t optional — it’s our standard. Our students study with purpose, work with grit, and play with a relentless heart. The Avance Athletics program embodies the combative spirit of the Guerreros Jaguar - the fearless Aztec warriors who fought with unmatched strength and strategy. Across 10 competitive teams - basketball, soccer, volleyball, and cross-country for boys and girls at both the high school and middle school levels - we’ve claimed 15 league championships, including a CIFLACS City Championship in Girls Basketball. These victories are no coincidence. They’re the result of discipline, resilience, and a refusal to settle for mediocrity. At Avance, we don’t just compete - we fight, we rise, and we conquer. Our athletes are warriors on the court, on the field, and in life. We build champions with the heart of a Jaguar.
An Avance graduate adheres to the Core Values…
CONSCIOUSNESS… is conscious and demonstrates self-awareness that leads to physical and psychological well-being.
REASON… uses reason and demonstrates the necessary skills and knowledge for college success.
SYNERGY… uses synergy and demonstrates respect by acknowledging the contributions and opinions of others.
ACTION… uses action and demonstrates development of personal goals and undertakes the necessary steps to accomplish them
CONSCIOUSNESS… is conscious and demonstrates self-awareness that leads to physical and psychological well-being.
REASON… uses reason and demonstrates the necessary skills and knowledge for college success.
SYNERGY… uses synergy and demonstrates respect by acknowledging the contributions and opinions of others.
ACTION… uses action and demonstrates development of personal goals and undertakes the necessary steps to accomplish them
Mr. Victor Aguirre, Executive Director