First Philadelphia Charter serves a diverse student body comprised of children from all over the city of Philadelphia, from all ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. We are a Pre- Kindergarten through Eighth Grade school. We opened in September 2002 with temporary housing on three campuses. In August of 2004 we opened our new state-of-the-art facility. The new school has transformed the property at Tacony and Church Streets into a community hub that serves as a gathering place for all of the community. In addition to offering an elementary education to the children of Philadelphia, First Philadelphia Charter offers adult opportunities in literacy, GED, and job-readiness skills training. We have just completed building an additional structure on campus. The addition has many key features but two stand out. First, the expansion has a 700 seat theater space to include a mezzanine level. It will house a full stage with orchestra pit, and a sound and lighting system. Second, the expansion will offer an all glass front with gallery display cases to showcase student art. This is a school for students whose families understand how important literacy is to achievement in all academic areas. It will nurture a love, respect and appreciation for reading so that children are able to achieve.
The cornerstone for effective learning is literacy. The school’s primary goal is that all students, after two years of regular attendance, will read at or above grade level. First Philadelphia runs on a year-round schedule, including thematic intersessions (enrichment classes when school is closed). The school believes in family literacy, provides the opportunity to study world languages, and allows students to gain an appreciation for the international language of music.


All students are capable of learning, given the right tools, environment, family and community support, and motivation. We strongly believe that the key to learning is reading well. As a result, First Philadelphia's children will be successful learners.

The founders also believe that the love of reading must be nurtured during the early years of school.  We have collaborated with the Developmental Studies Center (DSC) of Oakland, California to make our school a place where students care about each other and care about learning. Using DSC’s Making Meaning program,  First Philadelphia students discover a wide variety of strategies to help them make sense of what they read. Teachers expose the children to a diversity of literature, engaging the students in discussions along the way. As students explore topics relevant to their own lives, they are also learning reading comprehension strategies. These strategies, modeled in the classroom, allow students to find meaning in the books that they read independently. Each day students are given time for independent reading at their level. 

First Philadelphia has also instituted DSC’s Caring School Community model, a well-researched program designed to promote fairness, personal responsibility, kindness, and helpfulness throughout the school community. Teachers use several means to deepen students’ thinking and build community. Class meetings are a time to team-build, collectively make decisions, and check in with students about how they are feeling and how the class is doing in creating a caring community. These meetings are an excellent way to involve students in the thought process of how they wish to be treated and how they want to treat others. Some activities are also designed to let students get to know each other better, thereby teaching an appreciation for differences and an awareness of the ways in which they are similar. Teachers use cooperative structures to encourage partner and group work and discussion amongst students. At First Philadelphia, we value the knowledge and experience that students bring with them to school. Therefore, we provide opportunities for students to learn from each other in the classroom. We further strive to create a caring environment through relationship building activities such as cross-grade buddies. 

According to DSC’s research, the program has several benefits:
In a caring and safe environment, students are more likely to enjoy school and learning activities, have trusting relationships with teachers, and make better decisions regarding issues such as drugs or tobacco in the middle school years. These benefits show why we have chosen to implement the Caring School Community model at our school. In our first two years of operation teachers are already noticing results. The students have improved their abilities to listen to each other, agree or disagree respectfully, and discuss issues and feelings. Our students are taking ownership for the type of atmosphere that is created in our school. A teacher coordinator on staff works to continuously develop our caring learning community.

At First Philadelphia Charter we believe that all children can learn and it is the right of every student to have the opportunity to be prepared for college. On June 28, 2008 the school was accepted into the network of “No Excuses University”.

No Excuses University Schools Promote a Culture of Universal Achievement