ACE Academy – Lambs Lane Campus welcomes its first students
ACE Academy – Lambs Lane Campus welcomes its first students
New career exploration center opens after four weeks at a temporary site
By Albemarle County Public Schools
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. — Sophomores, juniors and seniors walked through the doors of the Albemarle Career Exploration Academy – Lambs Lane Campus for the first time Wednesday, opening a 60,000-square-foot facility built to give as many as 400 high school students a day of hands-on instruction in fields ranging from health and medical sciences to architecture, law and entrepreneurship.
Ninth graders arrived Thursday, following the academy’s alternating schedule in which students spend one day at their base high school and the next at ACE Lambs Lane.
The move comes after four weeks at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Virginia’s Albemarle Campus Club, where students began the 2026-27 school year on Aug. 12 while work on the new building continued. The building has since received a temporary certificate of occupancy authorizing up to 400 occupants.
“Watching students find their studio for the first time, you could see them realize this place was built for them,” Principal Stephanie Carter said. “That’s the whole idea. We want every student who comes through these doors to leave knowing who they are, what they care about and where they’re headed.”
Students tour the new ACE Academy – Lambs Lane Campus on Wednesday, their first day in the new building. (ACPS photo)
The academy is an Albemarle County Public Schools specialty center serving students in grades 9-12. It sits on the Lambs Lane campus alongside Albemarle High School, Journey Middle School, Greer Elementary School, the Trailhead Learning Community and the Boys & Girls Club.
Eight Scholars Studios operate inside the building, each organized around a career field: Blueprint (architecture, urban design and building construction), Impact (global leadership, law and social justice), Nexus (geospatial analytics, computer science with integrated AI and robotics), Pulse (health and medical sciences), Savor (hospitality, eateries, travel and recreation), Solve (math, engineering and science), Thrive (education and human development) and Venture (entrepreneurship, business and innovation).
The new ACE Academy – Lambs Lane Campus opened to students Wednesday after students spent the first four weeks of the school year at a temporary location. (ACPS photo)
Students enroll at their base high school and build a personalized four-year academic and elective pathway with their families. Coursework extends beyond the classroom through labs, field experiences, internships, service learning and industry-connected projects. The academy supports students in earning industry credentials, taking part in work-based learning and accessing college-level coursework.
Acting Superintendent Chandra Hayes credited the Boys & Girls Club with keeping students on track during the delay.
“I want to give a huge thank-you to the Boys & Girls Club for stepping in as a true community partner,” Hayes said. “Because of their willingness to help, our students never missed a beat. Now they have a building designed for exactly what they came here to do — ask hard questions, get their hands on real problems and start building the future they want.”
The Albemarle County School Board renamed the former Center II as the Albemarle Career Exploration Academy – Lambs Lane Campus as part of a broader renaming of the division’s high school centers. Carter was named principal in February.
The ACE Academy – Lambs Lane Campus is at 2765 Hydraulic Road, Charlottesville. More information about the campus and its Scholars Studios is available at acel.k12albemarle.org.