When life-long friends Anthony Williams and Brent Jernigan were college interns at a summer school program for Pittsburgh youngsters, little did they know that they would become the future leaders of the program and its parent organization, The Neighborhood Academy (TNA).
Since 2001, TNA has been successfully breaking the cycle of generational poverty through education and preparing students for citizenship and service. Founded on the pillars of belief, ability, transcendence, and resilience, the school is dedicated to developing the whole student — mind, body, and spirit.
Students enter TNA with a demographic profile that doesn’t always predict success. Seventy percent of their families have a taxable income of $35,000 or less; 72 percent live in single-caregiver homes; 82 percent have experienced significant trauma. And if they weren’t at TNA, 81 percent would be in state-designated “low-performing” schools.
Against these odds, 100 percent of TNA’s 200 students since its founding have been admitted to college, and 81 percent graduated from college in five years or less (well above the 16 percent national average for low-income students, according to a 2017 study by the University Allocation Alliance). More than 92 percent return to Pittsburgh after graduation to begin their careers.
The school’s educational model includes a 16-to-1 student/ teacher ratio, a faith component, three meals per day, counseling, extended school day and school year, and high expectations of good behavior, respect for all, dedication, discipline, and accountability. “It’s not how smart you are,” said Jernigan, assistant head of school. “It’s how dedicated and diligent you are.”
Under the leadership of Williams, the head of school, and Jernigan, enrollment has increased from 127 in 2019 to 210 today. A key factor was the 2017 opening of the Middle School for Boys and the 2023 opening of the Middle School for Girls. “We saw the beneficial returns of admitting boys in 6th grade very quickly,” said Jernigan. “After one year, they improved by an average of 0.8 grade levels in math and reading. When they entered 9th grade, they were on grade level or one to two grade levels ahead. Now, 90 percent of the 8th grade boys test into honors math for 9th grade. We knew we had to replicate this for the girls.”
Williams has been at TNA since the beginning and has known every student. He has advanced the curriculum to new academic standards, and last year the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools renewed its accreditation for the next 10 years. He has also overseen the building of staff and some 60 partnerships, broadening offerings in academics, athletics and arts opportunities. One example is its relationship with Shady Side Academy. Neighborhood Academy boys play on Shady Side’s football team, and Shady Side girls play on The Neighborhood Academy volleyball team.
“The football program has built a family among the students in a way we could have only hoped for,” said John McClelland, assistant coach and 22-year Neighborhood Academy faculty member. “They attend each other’s birthday parties, spend time with each other on the weekends, cheer each other from the sidelines, and hold each other up during difficult times. It is more than just football. It’s family.”
The independent school operates on the belief that affordability should not be a reason a student would not receive a quality education. “Our co-founders were products of private schools,” said Shannon Prentiss, a TNA grad and now dean of student affairs. “They understood how impactful the experience can be for all students, but especially for students who did not have access to a private school education.”
Tuition covers just two percent of TNA’s $6.2 million operating budget. The rest comes from what Williams calls “generosity.” “We live out the African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Our donor community is a cornerstone of our village.”
The Neighborhood Academy has a $12 million endowment and is seeking to raise another $20 million in a current capital campaign. Its biennial Speaker Series event Oct. 8 will feature Tererai Trent, author and advocate for quality education and women’s empowerment. Tickets can be purchased online at www.theneighborhoodacademy.org.
Carolyn Sanford has been with The Neighborhood Academy since 2019, as Assistant Head of School for Development and now the Great Futures Campaign Director.
