Founded by a Dad, with Families in Mind
After the birth of his son, J.C. Huizenga began to think about education from a parent's perspective. He believed every child should have the opportunity to receive a great education and schools should be held accountable to produce results. This led Mr. Huizenga to open his first National Heritage Academies school in 1995 – Excel Charter Academy – and his belief continues to drive our mission forward today.
Our Schools
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a charter school management company that operates 100+ schools across nine states serving more than 60,000 students in Kindergarten through 12th grade.
PrepNet Virtual Academy provides an online school experience for students in grades K-12 who reside in the state of Michigan. To find out more, visit prepnetvirtual.com.

What NHA Parents Are Saying
Find a School"Wonderful atmosphere, great staff, and students! My son has attended Detroit Enterprise Academy since kindergarten. He's now in 6th grade! Great academic programming! If I had to rate this school, it would be 5 stars!"
- Latesha A., NHA Parent
Meet Our Leadership

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Advanced learning at the ready, when your child is more than ready.
We’re proud to introduce Excel-erate, our new advanced learning program. For the student ready to accelerate beyond grade level, Excel-erate provides the resources and instruction they need.
Charter Schools
Charter schools are tuition-free public schools independent from the local district public schools. Like district public schools, charter schools are required to adhere to all federal, state, and local education, health, and safety rules and regulations. If you’re seeking the quality of a private school education without the cost, you’re in the right place.
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