Welcome Back, NAF Network! 

A new school year is upon us, and I could not be more excited, energized, and hopeful about all that lies ahead.  

Every new school year begins with a sense of promise. As students return to classrooms and academies across the country, I’m reminded of the incredible potential they bring with them and the important role we all play in helping them imagine, prepare for, and pursue their future goals.  

And there is so much to look forward to this year. 

Over the summer, we have been busy developing new resources, opportunities, and experiences to help you bring that promise to life for students both inside and outside of the classroom. From new and refreshed courses to insights directly from students, KnoPro challenges and special celebrations, below is just a sampling of what you can tap into in the months ahead:

Courses available in ASH:   

• Brand New: Principles of Finance Plus (great for meeting personal finance requirements), Delivering Great Service (perfect for ALL pathways), and Event Planning courses are now available. Check out the Delivering Great Service trailer. 
• Refreshed: Health science courses, Global Health and Anatomy & Physiology, received major refreshes. 
• Updates in Progress: Two multi-pathway courses, Professional Ethics and Entrepreneurship, as well as Accounting Plus, a perfect course for our finance academies, are currently being updated. If you are interested in being part of the testing and feedback process for any of these courses, please reach out to our Director of Curriculum, Christine Rodriguez, at crodriguez@naf.org. 

Opportunities for Students:

• Fall KnoPro Challenges: The fall lineup is here;  
• Healthcare is Hiring (Sponsored by Covista),  
• Aerospace Engineering: Next-Gen Flight (Sponsored by RTX) and  
• Future Tech: Build What’s Next (Sponsored by Lenovo).  

These monthly challenges give students the opportunity to develop in-demand, resume-ready skills by tackling real-world industry projects for a chance to win up to $10,000. Do not forget about the 10-15 minute daily Skillbuilders, with prizes awarded daily. 

• Student Field Guide is HERE! The insight-packed 2026 Student Field Guide shares the voices of more than 25,000 students from across the NAF network that participated in our spring student survey. It is a valuable opportunity to hear directly from young people, reflect on what they are telling us about their academy experiences, and use their perspectives to make those experiences even stronger. 

• NAF Students x Documentary: Nominate a junior or senior student from your academy for consideration in Brite Stories, an upcoming documentary from an award-winning production company. The film will follow a small number of current juniors and seniors over the course of one to two years, capturing their personal journeys as they navigate career-connected learning, explore their future, and experience the moments that shape who they become. To learn more, please contact your portfolio manager or fill out the nomination form. 

Celebrate with Us!

• KnoPro Turns 3: This September 21-25, NAF is celebrating three years of KnoPro, the award-winning ed-tech platform that has impacted more than 52,000 users and awarded more than $330K in cash prizes. Be on the lookout for more information as we celebrate this milestone with a series of activities.  
• “NAF Day” Goes National: This October and November, join NAF academies across the country in celebrating what makes your academy and community special. Explore the NAF Day toolkit to implement your own NAF Day or spirit day. We cannot wait to see how NAF Day comes to life across our network. 

A Few Reminders:

• WBL Tracker: Be sure to track the amazing work-based learning opportunities you are providing through the NAF WBL Tracker. These experiences help students build their aspirations, skills, and connections, and the tracker helps your academy understand student participation and how these opportunities are contributing to student growth. If you need support or want to learn more about how this data to inform your WBL planning and impact, reach out to your portfolio manager. 
• NAF Support: For support with any element of the NAF design or to deepen your relationship with NAF, please contact Reedy Wade, Vice President, Network Development & Growth, at rwade@naf.org, or Brooke Rice, Vice President, Curriculum & WBL, at brice@naf.org. For marketing, media, or design questions, please contact Camille Currie, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, at ccurrie@naf.org. 

As we look ahead, our network continues to grow. Please join me in welcoming 24 new academies to the NAF network this school year. From traditional NAF pathways like Engineering and Finance to expanded pathways such as Arts, Media & Entertainment, Global Service and Diplomacy, and Video Production, these academies are opening new doors for students to explore careers, build networks, and plan for their futures.  We are thrilled to welcome them into our national network.  

As we begin this new school year together, thank you for the energy, dedication, and care you bring to your students and our network every day. Every day, across the NAF network, you are helping young people discover their strengths, see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves, and take meaningful steps toward their futures.  

That is the promise of this work. And when we bring the strength, commitment, and belief of this entire network together, there is no limit to what our students can achieve. 

Here’s to a school year filled with possibility, opportunity, and impact!  

Warmest regards, 

Lisa Dughi, NAF CEO