BIG PICTURE PHILADELPHIA

What BIG PICTURE PHILADELPHIA does

Big Picture Philadelphia (BPP) is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit founded in 2008 that operates two public high schools in North Philadelphia: Vaux Big Picture High School, a four-year neighborhood school in Sharswood serving up to 500 students annually under partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, and the Philadelphia Housing Authority; and El Centro Big Picture High School, an intentionally small, accelerated school for Opportunity Youth ages 16-21 who have previously disconnected from education, which opened a 28,284-square-foot permanent facility at 3360 Frankford Avenue in August 2024. The organization delivers three integrated core programs: Advisory (multi-year mentoring with individualized learning plans), Real World Learning (a four-phase career exploration and internship continuum), and Resiliency Services (in-house, licensed mental health counseling with no insurance requirements or waitlists). Class sizes are capped at 18 students, and graduates have achieved a 90%+ diploma rate, 843+ mentorship-based internships, and 127+ workforce certifications.

BPP operates with 21 employees and a small staff of dedicated Advisors, two full-time licensed Resilience Specialists, and teachers, supported by a network of 100+ industry mentors. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; operations rely on standard tools including a website with enrollment forms, Google Drive, and Constant Contact for newsletter communications. Reporting and data collection appear manual, with outcome metrics (3,903+ Advisor relationships, 20,918+ counseling sessions) tracked cumulatively since inception.

BPP's business model is nonprofit and non-tuition-based. All programs are provided free of charge to students. Revenue derives from three streams: per-pupil and operational funding from the School District of Philadelphia partnership (the largest source), Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) contributions where businesses and individuals receive a 90% state tax credit, and individual/corporate donations accepted via PayPal, check, or stock transfer. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on referrals from school counselors, alumni, and community partners, augmented by open houses and an annual Mentorship Celebration Gala.

Name

BIG PICTURE PHILADELPHIA

Legal name

Big Picture Philadelphia

Website

https://bigpicturephiladelphia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Picture Philadelphia is a nonprofit operating two public high schools in North Philadelphia — Vaux (four-year neighborhood school) and El Centro (accelerated school for ages 16-21) — delivering free, integrated Advisory, Real World Learning, and Resiliency Services to underserved youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Alternative, Continuation & Credit-Recovery Schools (EDAJAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD), Adult High School Diploma Completion Programs (EDAAABAB)

Keywords

• Public high school education
• Alternative education programs
• Workforce certification training
• Mentorship-based learning
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations collected via PayPal, check, or stock transfer. The organization promotes that every dollar donated goes back into programming.
2. Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC): Pennsylvania's EITC program allows businesses and individuals to make gifts to BPP and receive a 90% state income tax credit for the value of their gift.
3. School District of Philadelphia Funding: As a public school operator, BPP receives funding through its partnership with the School District of Philadelphia to operate Vaux and El Centro schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Big Picture Philadelphia operates two public high schools—Vaux Big Picture High School (a four-year neighborhood school in Sharswood serving up to 500 students) and El Centro Big Picture High School (an accelerated school for young adults ages 16-21 who disconnected from education). The organization delivers three core programs across both schools: the Advisory Program (dedicated advisors paired with students throughout high school with Individualized Learning Plans), Real World Learning (a four-phase career exploration and internship continuum embedded two days per week), and Resiliency Services (in-house mental health counseling with no insurance requirements or waitlists). All programs and diploma pathways are provided free of charge to enrolled students.

Product overview

Big Picture Philadelphia (BPP) is a nonprofit educational organization operating two distinct public high schools—Vaux Big Picture High School (a four-year neighborhood school serving up to 500 students) and El Centro Big Picture High School (an accelerated school for ages 16-21 who reconnected with education)—under a unified mission. The organization delivers three integrated core programs: Advisory (mentor-based individualized learning), Real World Learning (a four-phase career exploration and internship continuum), and Resiliency Services (in-house mental health and basic needs support). These programs work together to provide whole-student education, combining small class sizes, dedicated Advisors, real-world internships, industry certifications, and emotional support services to help students walk their pathway to success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• El Centro Big Picture High School: An intentionally small, accelerated school for young adults ages 16-21 who had previously disconnected from their education.
• Vaux Big Picture High School

Products and services

• Vaux Big Picture High School A four-year neighborhood public high school in Sharswood, Philadelphia serving up to 500 students annually, with small class sizes (no more than 18 students), real-world learning, project-based curriculum, and full-time in-house mental health counseling.
• El Centro Big Picture High School An intentionally small, accelerated high school for young adults ages 16-21 who had previously disconnected from their education, allowing graduation in 36 months or less while earning workforce certifications alongside diplomas.
• Advisory Program A foundational program where students are paired with a dedicated Advisor who stays with them throughout high school, creating years-long relationships where every student is known well by at least one caring adult and guided by an Individualized Learning Plan.
• Real World Learning (RWL) Program A four-phase continuum of learning experiences embedded in school schedules two days per week, guiding students through identity and career exploration starting with career clusters and advancing to internships, workforce certifications, and post-secondary counseling.
• Resiliency Services In-house mental, emotional, and behavioral health counseling provided by two full-time licensed Resilience Specialists, including basic needs assessments, connections to supportive services, and social-emotional skill-building workshops, with no insurance requirements or waitlists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,903+ students have had a dedicated Advisor who advocates for them throughout their high school career
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Carnegie Mellon University School of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Vaux alumna Malayah Reynolds attends Carnegie Mellon University School of Art, and her work has been spotlighted on their Instagram page, representing successful post-secondary pathways for BPP graduates.
• School District of PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Primary operational partner enabling BPP to operate Vaux Big Picture High School as a public school. The unique partnership allows an outside education provider to operate a neighborhood public school in Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia Federation of TeacherscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Vaux Advisors are unionized through the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, creating a collaborative labor relationship supporting teacher retention and professional development.
• Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017PHA owns the Vaux building, providing the physical facility for the school. This partnership enables the school to operate in the Sharswood neighborhood it serves.
• Industry Mentors and EmployerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Professionals from various industries (healthcare, culinary arts, music production, dental assistant, etc.) serve as mentors providing real-world learning experiences through internships. Over 100 mentors are celebrated annually at the Mentorship Celebration Gala.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Picture Learning: National nonprofit that originated the Big Picture school model. BPP is a Philadelphia affiliate operating the same Advisory + Real World Learning pedagogy at scale in a single city, making it the closest network sibling.
• Youth Build Philadelphia Charter School: Alternative Philadelphia charter serving opportunity youth ages 15-21 with construction trades and GED pathways. Direct overlap with El Centro's re-engagement mission and student age range.
• Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School: Philadelphia Catholic college-prep high school integrating corporate work-study internships into academics. Closely parallels BPP's internship-embedded model and serves similar low-income urban students.

Others

• University City Science Center: Philadelphia STEM-education and workforce intermediary. Potential host for BPP's Real World Learning placements and comparable on-the-job learning programs for Philadelphia youth.

Regional players

• KIPP Philadelphia Schools: Philadelphia-based charter network serving K-12 students with a college-prep mission. Operates alternative and neighborhood schools in the same city, targeting similar underserved populations.
• Mastery Charter Schools: Large Philadelphia charter network running neighborhood and turnaround schools with strong workforce/college pathways. Competes for similar students and School District partnerships in Philadelphia.
• Philadelphia Futures: Philadelphia nonprofit offering college access, advising, and mentoring for low-income students. Comparable Advisory-style long-term mentoring model serving similar North Philadelphia demographics.
• Say Yes to Education Philadelphia: Philadelphia scholarship and student-support nonprofit providing post-secondary planning, mentoring, and wraparound services. Shares BPP's focus on college access and wraparound support for underserved students.

Broad incumbents

• Communities In Schools of Philadelphia: National nonprofit embedded in public schools to provide counseling, basic-needs support, and student services. Overlaps strongly with BPP's Resiliency Services model, though delivered as a partner rather than school operator.
• Re-engagementNet / Philadelphia EOP Network: City-run alternative education pathways serving dropouts and opportunity youth in Philadelphia. Direct overlap with El Centro's re-engagement mission and student population in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/big-picture-philadelphia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 BIG PICTURE PHILADELPHIA