HISTORY

The inner-city riots of the 1960’s brought community, business, education, labor and government leaders together out of a concern over high drop-out and unemployment rates among Philadelphia’s youth. From this union was born the Academy Model for school reform, which was marked with the opening of the first Academy in a public high school in 1969 with 30 students and involved business partners who promised employment upon graduation.

Over the decades that followed, new career areas were developed into Academies with new partners in various career fields. In 1987, former Superintendent Constance E. Clayton, delivered the challenge to the Academies to expand enrollment to 5000 students by 1996--a goal which was met and surpassed.

As a result of the success of the Academy Model, Philadelphia, business leaders commissioned a study to evaluate how the City might further benefit from this successful education model. Recommendations included restructuring to consolidate the independently operating Academies under one non-profit organization by establishing the Philadelphia High School Academies, Inc.

Today the Academy Model is flourishing with enrollment at approximately 8,000 students. Academy programs are now operating in 17 high schools, two middle schools, and include fourteen career fields designed to motivate young people to stay in school, provide them with marketable skills and access to employment. The name was changed to the Philadelphia Academies, Inc. in the year 2000 to mirror the broader goals set by the Board of Directors to serve a population that extends beyond just high school.