Businesses have long utilized the mentor-protégé relationship but in academia, it is commonly overlooked. At Philadelphia Academies, teachers, community leaders, business professionals, and other positive role models give high school students the personal attention they need to graduate. It is a talent pipeline, connecting local businesses with driven High School students who are ready to make a positive impact on their community after graduation.

Philadelphia Academies is located in the 1400 block of Locust Street and acts as the North Star, or guiding light, in the constellation of 17 participating Philadelphia Public Schools. There are 30 Academies in 17 urban high schools and they are comprised of teachers, coordinators, guidance counselors, administrative staff, business partners, and volunteers. Students can choose from several paths, including Automotive, Business and Information Technology, Communications, Electrical Technology, Environmental Technology, Health, Hospitality, Process Control Technology, and Urban Education. Each Academy is a “school-within-a-school” and does not exceed 250 students, so teachers are able to give individual attention to each pupil. Academy students are selected based on their grades and attendance record and almost every student leave the program having had a positive experience.

Philadelphia Academies is the oldest career Academy in the United States and was created in 1969 by Charles Bower, the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Urban Coalition. He wanted to create a program that would keep students in school and away from the violence of inner-city Philadelphia. Bower teamed up with the Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) and Bell of Pennsylvania (Bell) and created an academic guideline to prepare students during school for a job after graduation. Today, there are career Academies in over 1,500 high schools nationwide.

Connie Majka first came to the Academies in 1988, as a Program Coordinator. She wanted to take a break from a successful career in consulting to help out a non-profit. Nearly twenty years later she now manages public relations and development for Philadelphia Academies and is also the President of the National Career Academy Coalition. In 2005, Philadelphia’s first lady-elect, Lisa Nutter, took on the role as President of Philadelphia Academies and continues to oversee its success. The largest challenge Nutter and Majka face is surprisingly, not the students. “You come to realize the importance of teamwork between the teachers and students” says Nutter. “It’s like what they say in my favorite movie, Drumline, “one band, one sound. We have got to work together.”

In a recent study released by the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, it was reported that one out of every four Philadelphia residents dropped out of high school, which is double the state average, and two-thirds of our adults are considered low-literate and do not possess basic skills. Nutter and Majka believe these numbers can improve, by offering exciting career paths during High School which will keep students engaged.

For more information about Philadelphia Academies, check out their website at www.academiesinc.org or call 215.546.6300