Colony High School, located in Palmer, Alaska, is committed to academic excellence, student growth, and community involvement. Serving a diverse student body, Colony High School offers a wide range of academic courses, career and technical education opportunities, athletics, and extracurricular activities designed to prepare students for success beyond graduation. With dedicated educators and strong community partnerships, Colony High School fosters a supportive learning environment that encourages responsibility, resilience, and lifelong learning in the heart of the Mat-Su Valley.

Colony High School offers a strong academic program designed to prepare students for college and careers. CHS provides over 20 AP courses, giving students opportunities to earn college credit, and is recognized as an AP Platinum School for its commitment to advanced learning. In addition, students can choose from more than 10 Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that offer hands-on, career-focused learning. With a wide range of academic and career pathways, Colony High School supports students in achieving their educational and future goals.

Colony High School is fully accredited through the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools and the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.

Colony High School offers a spirited athletics program where the Colony Knights compete in a wide range of sports including football, flag football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, track and field, wrestling, swimming, hockey, tennis, and more through the Alaska School Activities Association, promoting teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship. Complementing athletics, Colony’s renowned marching band, Thee Northern Sound, is a standout performing group that supports athletic events and represents the school with distinction. One of the few high school marching bands in Alaska, it has performed in prestigious national events such as the Rose Parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, presidential inaugurations, and international performances. Together, CHS athletics and the marching band play a major role in building school pride, community involvement, and student leadership opportunities.

Colony High School also offers a wide range of clubs that allow students to explore their interests, develop skills, and engage with the community. Students can join academic clubs like National Honor Society, science and math clubs, and language or cultural groups, as well as creative outlets such as drama, choir, orchestra, and visual arts programs. The school also supports leadership and service through student government, yearbook, and Key club. Additionally, Colony provides opportunities in career-focused and technical clubs like Skills USA and Educators Rising, giving students real-world experience and competitive events beyond the classroom. These activities help foster collaboration, creativity, and personal growth for students with diverse interests.

At Colony High School, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department offers a wide range of hands-on courses designed to prepare students for both college and career success. Students can explore technical fields through courses such as Small Engines, Technical Drafting, Geometry in Construction, 3D Printing, Robotics, Digital Electronics, Outdoor Power, and Welding. Colony is proud to house a world-class welding facility that serves as a districtwide program and prepares students for American Welding Society (AWS) industry certification.

The department also offers strong business, technology, and education pathways, including Accounting, Personal Finance, Digital Media, Project Management (Yearbook), Medical Terminology, Principles of Engineering, Educational Leadership, and Educators Rising. Freshmen can begin with Intro to Careers, where they explore 16 career clusters and identify interests and strengths to guide future course choices. Upperclassmen may continue their pathway through districtwide capstone CTE courses and gain leadership experience through Career and Technical Student Organizations such as SkillsUSA and Educators Rising. Many CTE courses offer dual-enrollment college credit, ensuring students graduate with real-world skills, hands-on experience, and a strong foundation for future success.

Colony High School maintains a strong and positive relationship with the local community, built on collaboration, pride, and involvement. The school regularly partners with local businesses, organizations, and community leaders to provide students with real-world learning opportunities, service projects, and career exploration experiences. Community members actively support school events, athletics, fine arts performances, and student organizations, helping to create a welcoming and engaged environment. Through volunteerism, internships, career-based learning, and public events, Colony High School serves as an important hub in Palmer, fostering connections that support student success and strengthen the community as a whole.

Colony High School established the first and only Army Junior ROTC program in the Mat-Su School District in 1992.

Colony JROTC offers multiple co-curricular programs to help us achieve our primary goal of ‘motivating young people to be better citizens’. This goal is achieved by teaching the value of community service, marksmanship, drill and ceremony, drone proficiency, and teamwork. Additionally, students are given the opportunity to challenge themselves by attending a week-long leadership camp that takes place annually on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson along with JROTC students from other schools. JROTC gives students interested in military service an advantage by earning credit towards various commissioning programs, gaining appointment at one of the service academies (e.g. West Point), and automatic advancement to E-3 if the cadet has completed three years in JROTC and wishes to enlist.

At its core, JROTC is a program designed to develop future leaders for the community. Colony JROTC has helped thousands of students achieve greater potential and make better life-choices by instilling discipline, promoting good human values and ethics, generating organizational pride, and challenging students both physically and mentally at every opportunity.

Please contact MAJ(R) Brent Richey or SFC(R) Peter Trevino if you would like to learn more!