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Seven Figure Grant Expected To Transform Local High School

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia high school is getting a huge grant from an influential nonprofit.

The Philadelphia School Partnership liked what it saw at Roxborough High, so the nonprofit is giving the school $1.1 million over the next three years to continue its academy model.

Roxborough students choose among visual arts, business or health academies.

PSP executive director Mark Gleason says, "There's evidence here in Philadelphia, at this school and other schools that have career models, that career education leads to higher graduation rates."

roxborough-high-school-principal-dana-jenkins-with-psp-executive-director-mark-gleason
Roxborough High School principal Dana Jenkins with PSP executive director Mark Gleason. (credit: Mike DeNardo)

Roxborough principal Dana Jenkins plans to use the money to train teachers on project-based learning.

"One of the things that we decided as a school was that we were not going to continue to do what we've been doing over and over and over again for years and years and years."

Over the last five years, PSP has given $34 million to Philadelphia charter schools, $16 million to district schools and $6 million to private schools.

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