The City of Alexandria provides residents with opportunities to learn about the City government and the various services it offers to the community. These programs are offered free to residents. Application period for the academies are announced weeks in advance of the sessions. Please visit the specific websites to obtain more information about the programs. 

Alexandria Community Fire Academy

The purpose of the Academy is to educate the Alexandria community members about fire safety and emergency medical response, while learning about the history, administration, operations, and apparatus of an urban public safety agency. Participants will also receive hands-on training to experience a "day in the life" of a firefighter/medic.

The Academy will hold a session in Fall 2017. More information about the program and the application process will be available soon.

City Academy

The Alexandria City Academy is a nine-week course that provides residents with the opportunity to learn about City government through first-hand experience with a wide range of government functions, services, activities and issues. 

Community Police Academy

 Classes are a combination of lecture and interactive activities. Class topics will include patrol operations, gangs, crime prevention, crime scene investigations, criminal investigations and the Special Operations team. The curriculum covers the core elements  that are essential for participants to gain a greater understanding of police operations.

Alexandria Police is also now offering a new Half-Day Summer Community Police Academy. Get to know the Alexandria Police Department (APD) in an abbreviated half-day session. There are two half-day sessions offered this summer: Saturday, July 15, 2017 and Saturday, August 19, 2017. The sessions will be held at Alexandria Police Department Headquarters at 3600 Wheeler Ave from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Senior Academy  

The Senior Academy is now accepting applications for its 2017 fall session. The 4-week program held on Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, is designed to engage, inform and educate Alexandria's Seniors (60+) about government functions and programs and organizations that provide services available to seniors. Classes will start on Wednesday, September 6.  Registration begins on Wednesday, June 21 and closes on Friday, August 11. The application and more information is available at  seniorservicesalex.org