Acuity Academy * Arkansas Trade School * Explore Careers *

About Acuity Academy

Acuity Academy is Arkansas's next healthcare training academy. We train Direct Support Professionals, Certified Nursing Assistants, and Home Health Specialists with hands-on coursework, instructor-graded labs, and stackable certifications, built for working adults who want a paycheck career, not student debt. We are currently pursuing trade school accreditation.

ARKANSAS
Academy Overview

53

Arkansans in active training

22

Career-aligned courses

116

Hands-on lessons

86

Certifications earned

Our Programs

Direct Support Professional

Three-level CDSP track for caregivers serving Arkansans with disabilities under the CES Waiver.

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Certified Nursing Assistant

State-aligned CNA program: clinical skills, patient care, and exam prep with instructor-graded labs.

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Home Health Specialist

Real-world home care training, medication safety, EVV documentation, and care planning.

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Continuing Education

CE hours, refreshers, and stackable certificates to keep your career and credentials current.

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Campus Life

More than a classroom | Acuity Academy is a community of working adults, instructors, and employer partners building Arkansas's healthcare workforce. Skills labs, mentorship, and a career services team that helps you land the job.

Student Life

Working adults, parents, and career-changers, Acuity students learn together and graduate together.

Skills Labs

Modern simulation labs with hospital beds, mannequins, and full clinical equipment for hands-on practice.

Career Services

Job placement support, employer partnerships, and résumé coaching, we help you land the role.

Our Instructors

Nathan Bell
Director of Workforce Training & Compliance
Courtney Jackson, RN
Lead Clinical Instructor (RN)
Tyja Compton, LMSW
Lead Instructor, Social Work & IDD

EMPLOYER &
INDUSTRY NEWS

Acuity Academy partners with Arkansas's leading care providers, agencies, group homes, hospitals, and CES Waiver organizations. Read how our graduates are reshaping care across the state.

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Why Arkansas Needs 4,000 More Direct Support Professionals

Arkansas Department of Human Services projects a sustained shortage in CES Waiver workforce capacity.

CNA Career Outlook: What Arkansas Graduates Earn in Year One

New BLS data shows Arkansas CNAs averaging strong wage growth and accelerated pathways into LPN/RN roles.

Building the Arkansas Caregiver Pipeline, One Cohort at a Time

How Acuity Academy partners with employers to deliver workforce-ready graduates in under 12 weeks.

Student Feedback

Acuity graduates and current students share what it's like to train for a healthcare career in Arkansas, and what came next.

The instructors actually answer your questions. Eight weeks in I was already shadowing on a real care team, that doesn't happen at the bigger schools.

author
Brianna J.
CDSP Graduate, 2025

I was working full-time and raising two kids, Acuity's flexible schedule made it possible. Earned my CNA in 10 weeks and got hired within a month.

author
Marcus T.
CNA Graduate, 2024

The skills labs felt like a real workplace. By the time I walked into my first client home, I had practiced everything ten times over.

author
Aisha R.
Home Health Specialist, 2025

Upcoming Cohorts

Aug 04, 2026 North Little Rock, AR
CDSP Level 1 Cohort, Summer Start
Sep 08, 2026 North Little Rock, AR
CNA Fall Cohort, Evening Track
Oct 06, 2026 Online + Lab Days
Home Health Specialist Open House

Latest From The Academy

Career stories, employer insights, and what's new at Acuity Academy.

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