Milestones

• 1960’s - The inner-city riots of the 60’s brought community, business, education, labor and government leaders together to form the Philadelphia Urban Coalition. Under its leadership, an agreement was born to combat high drop out and unemployment rates among Philadelphia’s youth. The concept they created was called an “academy” and it would operate in a public high school, in partnership with business.
• 1969 - The first Academy was opened at Thomas Edison High School. It was the birth of the Philadelphia Academy Model as the Academy of Applied Electrical Science opened its doors to 30 students. The original business funders included Bell of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Electric Company (now PECO Energy).
• 1983 - Over the years that followed three new career areas were developed into Academies with new partners: business (1972), automotive (1974) and the health (1982) fields. Former Superintendent, Constance E. Clayton delivered the challenge to the Academies to expand enrollment to 5000 students by 1996.
• 1986 - Academies were in 10 high schools with a total enrollment of 1,200.
• 1987 - As a result of the success of Academies in 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 four operating Academies under one non-profit organization to achieve economies of scale in management, to clearly focus the funding of Academies in Philadelphia, and to aggressively pursue the goal of expanding Academies’ student enrollment to 5,000.
• 1988 - The Philadelphia High School Academies, Inc. was established under the leadership of President, Natalie S. Allen. During the decade that followed, corporate contributions rose with significant first-time foundation support from the Pew Charitable Trust to fund the program’s aggressive expansion plan. Two new career areas opened at Lincoln High School with the Environmental and the Horticulture Academies.
• 1990 - The Academy for Fitness, Sports Education and Promotion was opened at Benjamin Franklin High School.
• 1991 - Three Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Academies opened as a result of funding by the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority.
• 1992 - The Academy of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration opened its doors at Furness High School.
• 1994 - As a result of funding by the Department of Defense, two Aviation and Aerospace Academies opened with a ROTC component included in the curriculum. In addition the Communications Academy opened at John Bartram High School.
• 1996 - The Academies, Inc. organization spanned 11 career areas with 28 Academy programs operating in 19 of the neighborhood public high schools, and had met the challenge by enrolling over 5,000 students.
• 1999 - Marked the 30-year anniversary of the Academy Model in Philadelphia. Academies President Natalie S. Allen was also elected to lead the National Career Academy Coalition, a grass roots organization relying on its membership of students, teachers and school administrators, along with representatives from government, colleges and non-profit organizations to work together with corporations in the mission of developing and supporting emerging and existing career academies across the country.
• 2000 - The Philadelphia High School Academies, Inc.’s Board of Directors changed the organization’s name to The Philadelphia Academies, Inc., to more appropriately represent the expansion to the middle grades and beyond. Academies numbered twelve career areas, 29 Academy programs and nearly 7,000 students.
• 2001 - The first All-Academy High School was established at Abraham Lincoln High School in the fall, with seven Academies serving a student body of over 1800 and enrollment in all Academies exceeding 7,500.
• 2004 - The 2004-05 school year marked the second year of a newly structured partnership between the School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Academies, Inc. For the first time in our 36-year history of providing educational enhancements, we are working to develop a formal written partnership with the School District. Paul Vallas, Chief Executive Officer of the District, has made the Academies a key partner in delivering career services to public high school students, and we are planning together as they implement their Secondary Education Reform agenda.
• 2005 - After 16 years as the President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc., Natalie Allen retired this spring and Lisa Nutter was named President of the organization. Ms. Nutter brings to her new position more than 12 years of experience as a field researcher with an extensive background in consulting with community-based and non-profit organizations. Under the leadership of Ms. Nutter, the Academies continues to work in close partnership with the District to serve Academy students.