HFA's 25th Anniversary Time Capsule!

When the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation was established in 1929, it included a school which served grades kindergarten to college/trade school ages. The last part of the original school closed in 1969, and was reopened with a group of 100 freshman in 1997 as the Public School Academy, which was quickly renamed the Henry Ford Academy. 

We are a public charter high school in Dearborn, Michigan located within the walls of the historic Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. It is the first such school to be developed jointly by a global corporation, public education, and a major nonprofit cultural institution. Our school is sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency and The Henry Ford Museum and admits high school students.

In 2022, we celebrated our 25th anniversary by creating a Time Capsule that will be opened in 2048. During our first 25 years, HFA transitioned from a start-up charter school to a well respected place of learning where parents still participate in a lottery to get into the school. We've moved from being a "different" kind of school inside a museum to an academically challenging, relevant place to learn and grow. We look forward to continuing to lead the way to make how schools teach align with the way students learn in the next 25 years!