History
Founded in 1969 to address Philadelphia’s dropout crisis, Philadelphia Academies pioneered the Career Academy Model, which is now used by 8,000+ schools nationwide.
Today, it advances equity through its Success Networks and by equipping Black and Brown youth with the training, credentials, and mentorship needed to access life-sustaining careers.
1969
Charles Bowser, Deputy Mayor of Philadelphia, and Lee Everett, President and CEO of PECO, collaborate to develop a mechanism for bringing the business sector into the classroom in an attempt to fight the city’s emerging dropout crisis.
1969
The First Career Academy, the Academy of Applied Electrical Sciences at Edison High School, is launched under the direction of Principal Albert Glassman. Twenty-five students enter the Academy at Edison; all successfully graduate.
1972–1994
Over 10 different Career Academies are launched in Philadelphia, including Philadelphia Business Academy, Philadelphia Health Academy, and the Hotel, Restaurant, Travel & Tourism (HRTT) Academy.
1988
The existing career academies merge into one organization—the Philadelphia High School Academy Association, Inc.—with Natalie Allen as the organization’s first President.
1996
Our staff help create the National Career Academy Coalition to provide greater structure and support for the hundreds of schools implementing the Career Academy model nationwide.
2000
The organization changes its name to The Philadelphia Academies, Inc.
2005
Lisa Nutter becomes President.
2008
MDRC, a national education and social policy research organization, formally recognizes the Career Academy model as an evidence-based model after finding that Career Academy graduates’ long-term wages were, on average, 11% higher than the comparison group, with even stronger results for men of color.
2010
The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA), the City of Philadelphia, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania agree to reserve $1–2M in funds in PCCA’s annual operating budget for education and training, identifying PAI as a recipient of these on-going funds.
2013
The All-Academy model is launched at Abraham Lincoln and Roxborough high schools.
2017
Jay Vazquez becomes President and CEO.
2018
Based on an internal self-assessment and realignment, PAI diversifies its portfolio of work to include a broad K–12 Career-Connected Learning framework. PAI launchs its 9th Grade Success Network initiative, supporting school administrators and teaching teams with effective teaming, data utilization, and student intervention planning.
2019
PAI celebrates its 50th anniversary and launches a Middle School Initiative, designed to foster career awareness, provide career exploration opportunities, and support students by actively engaging in their high school selection.
2022
Philly Tech Gateway becomes PAI’s first-ever afterschool program. This new initiative teaches West Philadelphia student residents valuable software development and web design skills in partnership with local industry experts.
2024
F. Christopher Goins becomes President and CEO.
2025
The inaugural cohort of One Soul, PAI’s Black Male Educator development initiative launches at Parkway West High School funded by a $400,000 state grant.
A Tribute to our Founders
“A large portion of the population around Edison High School was living in poverty. This created a large underclass population that overall was disenfranchised from the opportunities so many others had. Specifically young African-American boys—they were the ones we were losing the most.”
—Al Glassman
PRINCIPAL OF EDISON HIGH SCHOOL, 1969