Education & Community Relations

An important part of our comprehensive neighborhood redevelopment strategy is ensuring that all our residents have access to the education they need to succeed in life.

In all, OARC education initiatives serve students from pre-school through high school and beyond, stabilizing not only buildings but the future leaders and residents of the community.

We have been a leader in the charter school movement in Philadelphia. Charter schools offer opportunities for a quality education, and students in West Oak Lane now have several educational options thanks, in part, to OARC's efforts.

The West Oak Lane Charter School challenges students K through 8th grade with small classes, a longer school day and a demanding curriculum. HOPE Charter School has not only reclaimed an at-risk building in the community, its innovative curriculum has reclaimed the lives of at-risk high school students. And the New Media Technology Charter School, a joint effort with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), prepares high school students for a 21st century, hi-tech college and workforce.

And because it is never too early to learn, we supported the early childhood education initiatives of the Philadelphia School District at the NIA Center. NIA, named for the fifth principle of Kwanzaa (purpose), the School District's Comprehensive Day Care Center and Head Start programs provide some of the West Oak Lane's youngest residents with an educational foundation that will lead to academic success.