Academy Prep Centers for Education

What Academy Prep Centers for Education does

Academy Prep Centers for Education is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization operating three tuition-free, college-preparatory middle school campuses serving economically disadvantaged students in grades 5 through 8 across Florida's Tampa Bay region. Founded in St. Petersburg in 1997 and expanded to Tampa (2003) and Lakeland (2019), the organization is built on the Nativity Miguel Network model, with class sizes capped at 18-20 students and a $20,000-per-student annual cost fully covered through need-based scholarships administered via Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship. The academic model features an 11-month academic year including a mandatory summer session (June-August), small class sizes for individualized instruction, and Centers of Excellence in Chess, Music, Visual Art, and Physical Education, with over 25 additional enrichment classes offered per semester.

The organization delivers its educational programming through a 1-to-1 Chromebook and Google Apps for Education environment, a FACTS/RenWeb student information system, and specialty programs delivered in partnership with corporate and community organizations including Raymond James (financial literacy), Regions Bank (financial education), Florida Blue Foundation (Fit Families for Life), and the Stavros Institute (Enterprise Village). An 8-year Graduate Support Program tracks alumni through high school and college, with documented outcomes including 97% attendance rates, 100% of graduates completing algebra, and alumni placements at institutions such as Columbia University, the University of Florida, UCF, Phillips Exeter, and Berkeley Preparatory School.

Academy Prep's revenue model is entirely donation-based, with no tuition charged to families. Funding sources include individual donations across five tiers ($1,000-$80,000), corporate sponsorships across technology, campus improvement, enrichment, and scholarship categories, foundation grants (Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Duke Energy Foundation, Truist Foundation, Triad Foundation, Florida Blue Foundation), and annual fundraising events led by the Grand Oak Classic (over $7M raised across 20 years, $1.4M in 2025). The organization is governed by a federated board structure with a parent Academy Prep Foundation overseeing three affiliated campus 501(c)(3)s and is nationally accredited by FCIS and NAIS.

Name

Academy Prep Centers for Education

Legal name

Academy Prep Centers for Education

Website

https://academyprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Academy Prep Centers for Education operates three tuition-free nonprofit middle schools in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Lakeland, Florida, serving economically disadvantaged students in grades 5-8 through need-based scholarships, an 11-month academic year, and 8+ years of graduate support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit K-8 / Middle School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Nonprofit middle school education
• Need-based scholarship programs
• College preparatory academics
• Graduate support services
• Community-based private education

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Need-Based Scholarships (Private Donations): All students attend Academy Prep through full scholarships funded by private donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations. A full scholarship costs $20,000 per year per student. The organization raises funds annually from the local community, with specific sponsorship tiers including Class Sponsorship ($80,000 for a class of up to 20 students), Leadership Scholarship ($20,000/year for 4 years), Champion Scholarship ($20,000 for one year), Co-Champion ($10,000 for 4 years), and Supporting Scholarship ($1,000–$9,999).
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Annual special events including the Grand Oak Classic (golf tournament and dinner), An Evening of Champions, King Cobra Chess Extravaganza, and Cookin' for Kids generate significant revenue for student scholarships. The 20th Annual Grand Oak Classic in 2025 raised over $1.4 million.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships are available through special events, scholarships, student activities, capital projects, and program support. Priority areas include technology adoption, campus improvement, supplemental programming (STEM, robotics, social-emotional learning), the summer session, enrichment classes, and class adoptions with job-shadowing and internship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Academy Prep Centers for Education operates three nonprofit middle school campuses (St. Petersburg, Tampa, Lakeland) serving students in grades 5-8 who qualify for need-based scholarships. The organization provides a tuition-free, rigorous college-preparatory academic program (English, math, science, history, Spanish) paired with Centers of Excellence in chess, music, visual art, and physical education, a mandatory summer session, and an 11-month academic year. The program includes eight or more years of graduate support through high school and college placement for every student.

Product overview

Academy Prep Centers for Education operates three nonprofit middle school campuses (St. Petersburg since 1997, Tampa since 2003, and Lakeland since 2019) serving students in grades 5–8 who qualify for need-based scholarships. The organization provides a rigorous college-preparatory academic program (English, math, science, history, Spanish) combined with a mandatory summer session, an 11-month academic calendar, and Centers of Excellence (Chess, Music, Visual Art, Physical Education). A 1-1 technology program at the Lakeland campus provides Chromebooks with Google Apps for Education. Specialty programs including Fit Families for Life, the Raymond James Project, Regions Financial Education, and Enterprise Village are delivered through community partnerships. Graduate Support Program provides eight years of counseling through high school and college. The three campuses operate as separate 501(c)(3) nonprofits overseen by the Academy Prep Foundation, and are nationally accredited by FCIS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg A nationally accredited nonprofit middle school (grades 5-8) in St. Petersburg, FL, offering a rigorous college-preparatory academic program and eight years of graduate support through high school and college for students from low-income families. Classes limited to 18 students per cohort.
• Academy Prep Center of Tampa A nonprofit middle school (grades 5-8) in Tampa, FL, providing a rigorous college-preparatory academic program coupled with ongoing graduate support for students qualifying for need-based scholarships.
• Academy Prep Center of Lakeland A nonprofit middle school (grades 5-8) in Lakeland, FL, serving students qualifying for need-based scholarships through a rigorous academic program and ongoing graduate support. Operates as a 1-to-1 technology campus with Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education.
• Graduate Support Program An eight-year post-graduation support program that monitors Academy Prep alumni through high school and college. Services include high school and college preparation counseling, transition support, alumni network access, community service opportunities, pre-college summer camps, employment and internship referrals, and alumni gatherings.
• Centers of Excellence (Chess, Music, Visual Art, Physical Education) A suite of four required weekly enrichment courses (Chess, Music, Visual Art, and Physical Education) that all students take throughout their time at Academy Prep. Chess team competes locally and nationally (3rd place K-5 and 4th place K-8 at the 2020 Florida State Scholastic Championship).
• Enrichment Program An after-school program offering 25+ enrichment classes per semester including chess, choir, band, guitar, robotics, karate, dance, theater, cooking, gardening, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and track. Classes are not graded and let students explore personal interests beyond the academic curriculum.
• Fit Families for Life A health and wellness educational initiative delivered in partnership with Florida Blue, the Lightning Foundation, University of Tampa, YMCA, and other organizations. Engages every grade level in nutrition training, physical fitness activities including cooking classes, yoga, swimming, dance, and gardening.
• Raymond James Project (Financial Literacy Program) A financial literacy program for 8th grade students delivered by Raymond James experts. Covers the stock market, mortgages, credit/debit cards, checkbook balancing, loans, and financial institutions, culminating in a hands-on simulation at Finance Park at the Gus A. Stavros Institute.
• Regions Financial Education A monthly financial education program in which Regions Bank employees teach 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students about banking, credit, and entrepreneurship.
• Enterprise Village A 5th grade social studies program in partnership with the Stavros Institute. Students spend eight weeks learning economic concepts, then spend a full day running a simulated business at Enterprise Village.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% student attendance rate — one of the highest in the Tampa Bay region
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Berkeley Preparatory SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley Preparatory School is a community partner of Academy Prep, receiving Academy Prep graduates into their high school program.
• University of South FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSF Corporate Mentor Program partners with Academy Prep to provide mentorship and educational outreach to students.
• University of TampaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Tampa is a community partner supporting Academy Prep through the Fit Families for Life health curriculum and other programs.
• Florida AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida Aquarium partners with Academy Prep to provide educational field trips and enrichment experiences for students.
• Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center for the Performing ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatel Conservatory provides enrichment performing arts programs and educational outreach to Academy Prep students.
• Morean Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorean Arts Center is an affiliate partner providing visual arts enrichment to Academy Prep Tampa students.
• Tampa Museum of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTampa Museum of Art is an affiliate partner providing art enrichment experiences to Academy Prep Tampa students.
• The First Tee of Tampa BayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe First Tee of Tampa Bay provides golf instruction and character education programs to Academy Prep students.
• Frameworks of Tampa BayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrameworks of Tampa Bay provides social-emotional learning curriculum and support to Academy Prep Tampa students.
• Dream CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDream Center provides community support programs and enrichment opportunities for Academy Prep students.
• Stageworks TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStageworks Theatre provides theatrical enrichment and performance opportunities for Academy Prep Tampa students.
• Mendez FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMendez Foundation provides educational programs and character development curriculum to Academy Prep students.
• Prevent Blindness FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevent Blindness Florida provides vision health education and screenings to Academy Prep students.
• Kappa Epsilon Psi Military Sorority, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKappa Epsilon Psi Military Sorority Tampa Tau Tau Chapter provides mentorship and community service opportunities for Academy Prep students.
• Sierra Club – Inspiring Connections OutdoorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSierra Club's Inspiring Connections Outdoors program provides outdoor education and environmental experiences for Academy Prep students.
• Tampa Bay Job LinksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTampa Bay Job Links provides career readiness and workforce development support for Academy Prep students and families.
• Children Across BordersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren Across Borders provides international cultural exchange and educational enrichment programs for Academy Prep students.
• Engineering for KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering for Kids provides STEM enrichment programs and engineering education to Academy Prep students.
• ChrysalisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChrysalis provides mentoring and support programs for Academy Prep students.
• Whitwam OrganicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhitwam Organics participates in the Fit Families for Life program at Academy Prep, providing nutrition and wellness education.
• Urban YogaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Yoga participates in the Fit Families for Life program at Academy Prep, providing yoga and wellness instruction.
• Post 9/11 VeteransminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost 9/11 Veterans is listed as a community partner providing mentorship and support to Academy Prep students.
• Dali MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDali Museum is a partner in learning providing cultural enrichment experiences for Academy Prep St. Petersburg students.
• Dynasty Financial PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDynasty Financial Partners is a partner in learning providing financial education and career exposure to Academy Prep St. Petersburg students.
• Amley & Amley OrthodonticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner in service providing support to Academy Prep St. Petersburg.
• LINKSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLINKS is a community service organization listed as a partner in service for Academy Prep St. Petersburg.
• Leadership PinellasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership Pinellas provides leadership development and community engagement opportunities for Academy Prep St. Petersburg.
• Prevent Blindness FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevent Blindness Florida provides vision health programs for Academy Prep St. Petersburg students.
• Urban LeagueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban League provides community support and educational programs for Academy Prep St. Petersburg students.
• Leadership St. PeteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership St. Pete provides leadership development opportunities for Academy Prep St. Petersburg.
• Spoor Bunch, and FranzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner in service providing support to Academy Prep St. Petersburg.
• City of St. PetersburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of St. Petersburg is a partner in learning providing community support and resources to Academy Prep St. Petersburg.
• Step Up for StudentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStep Up for Students (SUFS) is Florida's largest scholarship organization and the primary mechanism through which Academy Prep students receive need-based tuition scholarships. All Academy Prep students must have a SUFS scholarship to be enrolled. Families qualify through the Federal Free/Reduced Price Meals Program income guidelines.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BASIS Charter Schools: Nationally ranked charter school network with strong Florida presence offering accelerated, college-prep curricula to middle-schoolers. While for-profit rather than nonprofit and not specifically focused on low-income students, it competes for high-achieving Tampa Bay families eligible for school-choice scholarships.
• Great Hearts Academies: Network of tuition-free (or low-tuition) classical, college-prep charter schools with several Florida campuses. Comparable in offering a rigorous K-12 academic model to a broad student base, though not specifically targeted at economically disadvantaged populations.
• KIPP Florida Public Schools: A larger charter school network in Florida serving low-income students with extended-day/year academics and a college-prep mission. Operates at significantly greater scale but pursues a similar demographic and outcome-driven K-8 model; competes for the same Step Up for Students scholarship-eligible families.

Direct peers

• Pace Center for Girls: Florida-based nonprofit providing year-round academic and counseling services to at-risk middle and high school girls. Comparable as a Florida nonprofit serving economically disadvantaged students with an extended-year academic and wraparound support model, though focused more on remediation than college-prep acceleration.
• Tampa Preparatory School: Tampa-based independent college-prep school that accepts Academy Prep graduates and competes for the same academically inclined middle-school families (with and without scholarship assistance). Closely comparable in mission, location, and grade range, though it is tuition-based rather than scholarship-funded.
• Berkeley Preparatory School: Tampa-based private, nonprofit K-12 college-prep school that receives documented Academy Prep graduates. Functionally a feeder/destination school for Academy Prep alumni rather than a competitor, but highly comparable as a private nonprofit college-prep institution in the same Tampa Bay market.
• Cristo Rey Network: National network of Catholic, tuition-free college-prep high schools serving low-income students, with which Academy Prep has a documented board/foundation connection (Lincoln Tamayo serves on the Cristo Rey Tampa board). Directly comparable as private nonprofit, faith-inspired, donor-funded college-prep schools serving the same demographic, but at the high-school level.
• Nativity Miguel Network of Schools: The national network of Catholic, tuition-free middle schools serving low-income youth that Academy Prep's model is explicitly based on. Closest direct peer because member schools share the same Nativity Miguel academic framework, 5th–8th grade structure, extended academic year, graduate support, and need-based scholarship model.

Others

• Step Up For Students: Florida's largest K-12 scholarship organization and Academy Prep's primary scholarship administration partner. Not a peer in the educational sense, but a critical channel relationship — every Academy Prep student must hold a Step Up scholarship, making this organization effectively the gating distribution mechanism for enrollment.

Regional players

• AMIkids: Florida-headquartered nonprofit serving at-risk youth through residential, educational, and workforce programs across multiple states. Comparable as a Florida-rooted, donor-funded nonprofit serving disadvantaged youth with educational programming, though operating at much greater scale and with a broader youth-services scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AcademyPrepSP
• Facebookfacebook.com/AcademyPrepStPete
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-prep-centers-for-education

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Academy Prep Centers for Education