Urban Prep Academies

What Urban Prep Academies does

Urban Prep Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a network of all-boys public charter high schools in Chicago's underserved communities. Founded in 2002 by Timothy King and civic leaders, the network historically comprised three campuses — Englewood (2006, the country's first all-boys public charter high school), West (2009), and Bronzeville (2010) — and currently operates two campuses serving roughly 1,500 young men, with graduates numbering approximately 300 college-bound seniors annually. The organization maintains a tuition-free, open-enrollment model (random lottery via the GoCPS system) and reports 100% four-year college acceptance for 15 consecutive years, $20M+ in scholarships for the Class of 2024, and an 83% college retention rate compared with the 42% national rate for African-American males.

Its core product is the proprietary ARCS curriculum — four interconnected components (Academic, Service, Enrichment, and Activity Arcs) — combined with the UP To and Through College Program providing year-by-year alumni support from high-school senior year through college graduation. Project GOLD, supported by a $150,000 Citi Community Development grant, layers in course selection, tutoring, financial coaching, summer job placement, and emotional support to drive the college persistence outcome. Technology stack is conventional education-sector SaaS: Power School (student/parent and staff portal), ADP (HR/payroll), GoCPS (admissions), and DonorPerfect (online donations). Underlying systems and curriculum execution are human-delivered rather than technology-mediated.

The business model is a hybrid public-funding-plus-philanthropy nonprofit. Revenue comes primarily from per-pupil state and CPS allocations under the charter contract, supplemented by tax-deductible contributions from individuals, foundations (Citi, Golden Apple, INROADS, Marquette Bank, Bevel), and annual fundraising events such as Aces UP!. The go-to-market is geographically concentrated: marketing relies on earned media (Today Show, CNN, The Atlantic), community events, campus tours, and information sessions targeting Chicago families. The organization faces material governance and operating headwinds — the Chicago Board of Education revoked its charters in October 2022 citing financial mismanagement and sexual misconduct allegations, and founder/former CEO Timothy King was indicted in April 2026 on federal embezzlement charges tied to $103,000+ in school funds, with the organization continuing to operate under Interim CEO Dr. Dennis Lacewell.

Name

Urban Prep Academies

Legal name

Urban Prep Academies

Website

https://urbanprep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Urban Prep Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a network of tuition-free, all-boys public charter high schools in Chicago's underserved communities, serving roughly 1,500 students through its proprietary ARCS curriculum and UP To and Through College alumni program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Arts & Performing Arts Schools (EDAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• College preparatory
• All-boys secondary education
• Nonprofit school network
• Urban education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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

Revenue model

1. Public Charter School Funding: As a public charter school network operating under contract with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Urban Prep receives government per-pupil funding based on enrollment.
2. Charitable Donations: Urban Prep relies heavily on charitable contributions from individuals, organizations, and foundations. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
3. Grants and Foundation Support: Received grants from organizations such as Citi Community Development ($150,000 for Project GOLD) to expand programming and support alumni in college.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Urban Prep Academies is a nonprofit network operating three all-boys public charter high schools in Chicago, delivering college-preparatory secondary education grounded in the proprietary ARCS curriculum (Academic, Service, Enrichment, Activity). Beyond on-campus instruction, it provides long-term alumni support through the UP To and Through College Program and the Project GOLD mentoring initiative, extending services into students' post-secondary years.

Product overview

Urban Prep Academies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a network of all-boys public charter high schools in Chicago's high-need communities. The network currently operates three campuses: Englewood Campus (opened 2006, the nation's first all-boys public charter high school), West Campus (opened 2009), and Bronzeville Campus (opened 2010). The core educational offering is The ARCS curriculum—a culturally relevant framework comprising four interconnected components: Academic Arc (rigorous college-prep coursework), Service Arc (community service requirements), Enrichment Arc (summer college programs and internships), and Activity Arc (extracurricular participation). Beyond academics, Urban Prep provides the UP To and Through College Program offering ongoing alumni support including career guidance, academic support, and emotional services. Project GOLD bolsters college success through financial coaching, tutoring, and mentoring. The schools serve approximately 1,500 young men, with 100% college acceptance rates achieved for 15+ consecutive years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Englewood Campus (Urban Prep Academies Charter High School) All-boys public charter high school education at the Englewood Campus of Urban Prep Academies, serving young men in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago using the ARCS (Academic, Service, Enrichment, Activity) curriculum.
• West Campus (Urban Prep Academies Charter High School) All-boys public charter high school education at the West Campus, providing the ARCS college-prep curriculum to young men in a western Chicago neighborhood.
• Bronzeville Campus (Urban Prep Academies Charter High School) All-boys public charter high school education at the Bronzeville Campus, delivering the ARCS curriculum and college-preparatory programming to students in Chicago's Bronzeville community.
• ARCS Curriculum (Academic, Service, Enrichment, Activity) Proprietary college-preparatory curriculum that organizes instruction, community service, enrichment, and extracurricular activity around the needs of urban young men; underpins all Urban Prep Academies campuses and supports the network's college outcomes.
• UP To and Through College Program Alumni college persistence program supporting Urban Prep graduates with advising, scholarships, and ongoing engagement intended to help them enroll in and graduate from college.
• Project GOLD Mentorship and alumni engagement initiative supporting Urban Prep Academies students and graduates through structured guidance and community involvement.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BevelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2020Bevel continues its partnership with Urban Prep Academies, providing support for the school's programs and initiatives.
• National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Dr. Lacewell has served as an Advisory Board member of NPEA since 2017, an organization aligned with his belief that educational access and opportunity are essential to all children.
• INROADSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINROADS provides internship opportunities for Urban Prep alumni - Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors or Seniors with at least a 2.8 GPA and career interests in Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Healthcare or IT.
• University of Chicago Consortium on School ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Dennis Lacewell served on The University of Chicago Consortium on School Research Steering Committee for 10 years (2008-2018), with the last two years as Co-chair.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Noble Schools: Chicago-based public charter high school network serving similar low-income, predominantly minority student populations with a college-prep mission. Operates multiple campuses in Chicago neighborhoods and competes for the same GoCPS applicant pool.
• UNO Charter School Network: Chicago's largest charter operator running multiple K-12 campuses with a college-preparatory focus in the same high-need communities Urban Prep serves. Direct competitor for CPS-authorized charter students and per-pupil funding.
• KIPP Chicago: Local affiliate of the KIPP Foundation operating college-preparatory charter schools in Chicago. Shares Urban Prep's college-access mission, similar demographic focus, and competes in the same GoCPS enrollment system.
• Eagle Academy Foundation: National network of all-boys public charter schools founded by David Banks, serving young men of color in urban communities. Closest structural analog to Urban Prep's single-gender model and mission, with multi-city footprint.

Regional players

• Chicago Hope Academy: Faith-based, tuition-supported private high school in Chicago serving similar at-risk youth populations with a college-prep mission. Comparable demographic focus and Chicago geography though operates on a private rather than charter funding model.
• Boys' Latin of Philadelphia: Single-gender urban college-prep charter school in Philadelphia serving a similar demographic of young men from low-income communities. Closest mission-aligned, single-gender charter peer outside Chicago.
• Mastery Charter Schools: Philadelphia-based charter network with college-prep mission serving low-income urban students. Operates a comparable model of rigorous academics plus college persistence support, though co-ed and in a different geography.

Emerging players

• SEED Schools: Network of urban public boarding schools serving at-risk youth with college-prep curricula and wraparound supports. Comparable to Urban Prep's ARCS + alumni support model in serving underserved urban populations through extended-day programming.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit operating 270+ college-preparatory public charter schools serving underserved communities. Provides the broader national charter framework that KIPP Chicago operates within, and the most-recognized national brand in Urban Prep's competitive set.
• IDEA Public Schools: Large national charter network with strong college-prep outcomes for low-income students, including the '20-in-6' college completion metric. Represents a scaled, well-funded incumbent peer with comparable mission and outcome orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@urbanprepacademies
• Facebookfacebook.com/UrbanPrepAcademies
• Xx.com/UrbanPrep

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Urban Prep Academies