The Henry Ford Academy Model provides a framework through which to deliver a network of community partnerships that support and extend student learning. This framework ensures that learning at a Henry Ford Academy is embedded in the community, provides students with opportunities to connect their learning to the real world, and helps students form positive relationships with adults in school and in the broader community. HFLI’s Academy Design Framework includes four elements that drive the design of each Henry Ford Academy, incorporating the strengths and focus of its community partners:

• Teaching and Learning for Authentic Achievement –develops knowledge from thoughtful, discipline-based inquiry, facilitates creativity/innovation, and values that knowledge beyond the classroom. 
• The Work Place as the Learning Space –specific locations providing students with opportunities to observe how adults live and work to meet responsibilities associated with their careers. 
• Public Schools in Public Spaces –a real-world environment that embeds learning in public settings. 
• Partners in Learning – a combination of working strategies and resources that leverage individuals from business and the community to support student learning inside and outside the school setting. 

The Henry Ford Academy Model is unique in its focus on innovation and creativity in the elements that are core to school design, including curriculum aligned with national and state standards and well-prepared teachers.