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Dear School District of Philadelphia Families,

As we get closer to graduation season it’s important to remember that while graduation is an incredible milestone, with proper planning and preparation it can be a bridge to more exciting things, like college or career.

The Board of Education’s Goals and Guardrails, and the District’s strategic plan – Accelerate Philly – prioritize preparing students for college or career after high school. As a District, we understand that we serve a diverse population with a wide variety of needs, goals and desires. So we offer many Career Preparation Programs to support Philadelphia students in preparing for life after high school.

Recently, the School District partnered with the City of Philadelphia Office of Children and Families and Philadelphia Works to launch a new youth workforce initiative called Career Connected Learning PHL (C2L-PHL). C2L-PHL increases the quantity and quality of work-based learning activities for students from across the city, broadening opportunities for Philadelphia youth to achieve career success after high school. Through C2L-PHL, thousands of young people will have year-round access to internships, experiential learning projects, career exploration and mentoring, professional development, and job shadowing. Enrollment opens this spring, but you can learn more about it now at phila.gov/c2lphl.

C2L-PHL is only one career preparation option available to District students. Our Career & Technical Education (CTE) Program combines academic instruction with work-based learning. CTE students receive over 1,000 hours of hands-on experience and training with professionals from over 40 different industries. Through our partnership with the Community College of Philadelphia, students at certain District high schools can participate in Powerskills Academy to receive industry training, and in some cases certifications, in a variety of occupational fields including Information Technology, Advance Manufacturing, Pharmacy Technician, Dental and Nursing Assistant and more. Through our partnership with Junior Achievement of Southeastern PA, middle and high school students receive access to internships, career awareness programming, and specific support in subjects like financial literacy, economics and business.

Additionally, certain schools have cultivated partnerships with other city organizations and businesses that offer training for very specific vocations. High school students, parents, and caregivers should connect with the school counselor to learn more about the opportunities that may exist. If you have further questions about our career preparation programs, please contact our office of Pathways to Graduation at collegeandcareer@philasd.org, or visit our Postsecondary Readiness website.

These existing programs, and the ones still to be developed, are intended to provide Philadelphia’s youth with every opportunity to succeed as productive citizens of our city and our world. This is all part of our ongoing effort to prepare students to imagine and realize any future they desire!

Sincerely,

Jermaine Dawson, Ed.D.
Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services
The School District of Philadelphia