Strawberry Mansion High School

What Strawberry Mansion High School does

Strawberry Mansion High School (SMHS) is a public high school operated by the School District of Philadelphia, serving students in grades 9 through 12 at 3133 Ridge Avenue in North Philadelphia. The school was originally built for 1,800 students and now operates out of portions of three floors; new students register directly at the school Monday through Thursday between 9am and 1pm through the district's centralized enrollment system. SMHS is led by Principal Dr. Jeannine Payne and offers core academic instruction alongside career and technical education pathways, notably the Media Arts Career Pathway (Visual Art, Graphic Design, Photography, with planned videography expansion) and the Culinary Arts program.

The school's portfolio extends to athletics (football, basketball, volleyball, track, baseball, cheerleading, cross country), extracurricular clubs (Robotics, drumline, Knights Club), and structured college and career readiness services including SAT/PSAT support, FAFSA assistance, NCAA eligibility registration, dual enrollment, and partnerships with PA Career Link and JEVS Human Services. Student support includes a Department of Counseling, behavioral health, school nursing, special education, and a bilingual English/Spanish offering. The school is characterized by a dense community-partnership ecosystem that includes Bebashi (monthly food pantry funded by a Pennsylvania Department of Human Services grant), Ceasefire Philadelphia, Philadelphia Outward Bound School, the University of Pennsylvania GRASP Lab, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and corporate supporters such as Live Nation/The Met Philadelphia ($23,000 music education donation) and Foot Locker (12 Days of Greatness program).

SMHS is a government entity, not a commercial business, and does not generate revenue from tuition; operations are funded through the School District of Philadelphia's public education budget, supplemented by grants and donations. Distribution is through the district's school selection system; there are no marketing channels in the commercial sense. The school has invested in owned media as a reputation-rebuilding effort, including the student-produced 'Changing the Narrative' documentary (2022) and the 2025 biweekly YouTube interview series 'The Tea with Le',' alongside active Instagram (@theRealSMHS) and a monthly newsletter (The Roundtable). Earned media coverage in The Philadelphia Inquirer (notably 'Forever Mansion?' and 'Capable of Greatness') has been used to counter prior negative national attention.

Name

Strawberry Mansion High School

Legal name

Strawberry Mansion High School

Website

https://smhs.philasd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strawberry Mansion High School is a public grades 9-12 high school operated by the School District of Philadelphia, serving North Philadelphia students with core academics, Media Arts and Culinary Arts career pathways, athletics, and college/career readiness services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Public secondary education
• Career technical education
• College readiness programs
• Student counseling services
• Extracurricular athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Strawberry Mansion High School delivers free, comprehensive public high school education (grades 9-12) to North Philadelphia residents as part of the School District of Philadelphia. The school's product is a portfolio of academic instruction, career-technical programs (Media Arts Career Pathway with Visual Art, Graphic Design, and Photography; Culinary Arts), college and career preparation (dual enrollment, SAT/PSAT, NCAA/FAFSA support), athletics and extracurriculars, and student support services (academic, social-emotional, and college/career counseling, bilingual Spanish/English support, and special education) to eligible Philadelphia-resident students and their families.

Product overview

Strawberry Mansion High School is a public high school in the School District of Philadelphia serving grades 9-12. The school's product portfolio consists of educational programs and student services organized around academic, career-technical, athletic, and extracurricular offerings. Core programs include the Media Arts Career Pathway (Visual Art, Graphic Design, Photography) and Culinary Arts Program, complemented by athletics (volleyball, basketball, track, baseball, football) and diverse extracurricular clubs. Student support services include Department of Counseling (academic, college/career, social-emotional wellness), special education services, and health services. The school also operates community-focused initiatives including a food pantry partnership with Bebashi and hosts periodic events like Town Halls. No formal technology product platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Arts Career Pathway Career and Technical Education pathway developed in 2019 offering Visual Art, Graphic Design, and Photography courses, with planned expansion into videography. Students create digital artwork, participate in showcases, and sell their work. Designed to deliver SDP-aligned career skills to Strawberry Mansion HS students.
• Culinary Arts Program Career and Technical Education program partnering with professional chefs for culinary training. Students cater school events, operate a Student Store, and participate in competitions such as the Second Annual Great Philly Cook Off (PRLA Educational Foundation). Available to enrolled Strawberry Mansion HS students.
• 9th Grade Academy Structured program for incoming 9th-grade students that includes team building, partnerships with Philadelphia Outward Bound School for high ropes courses, and select spring expedition opportunities to support transition into high school. Delivered to all incoming freshmen at Strawberry Mansion HS.
• Robotics Program STEM extracurricular program where students participate in robotics activities and attend events such as the 2019 Philly Robotics Expo hosted at the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab and Singh Nanotechnology Center. Open to enrolled Strawberry Mansion HS students.
• TROUT in the Classroom Environmental science program integrating trout ecosystem learning and fish husbandry into the science curriculum. Delivered as part of in-class coursework for Strawberry Mansion HS students.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive interscholastic athletics program including Girls' Volleyball, Football, Cross Country, Cheerleading, Boys' Varsity/JV Basketball, Girls' Varsity Basketball, Track and Field, and Baseball. Includes NCAA Eligibility Center registration support for college-bound athletes. Open to enrolled Strawberry Mansion HS students.
• Department of Counseling Services Counseling department providing academic support, social-emotional wellness, college and career preparation, and bilingual (Spanish/English) support to Strawberry Mansion HS students. Staffed by credentialed school counselors and behavioral health professionals.
• College and Career Preparation Services College and career preparation services including dual enrollment opportunities, SAT/PSAT support, College Fair events, FAFSA assistance, NCAA Eligibility Center registration, Common Application support via College Club, PA Career Link career exploration, and ASVAB/military enlistment information. Available to Strawberry Mansion HS students and families.
• Knights Club Recognition Program In-school recognition program that acknowledges exemplary attendance, citizenship, and academic performance. Members earn exclusive field-trip opportunities (e.g., Rolling Thunder). Available to enrolled Strawberry Mansion HS students.
• John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Experience Arts-education partnership delivering a mobile audio and video recording studio on campus. Students work alongside professional engineers and musicians to produce music videos and documentaries. Recurring experiential program for Strawberry Mansion HS Media Arts students.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• Ceasefire PhiladelphiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2022Ceasefire Philadelphia participated in the school's Gun Violence Day of Awareness panel, joining community activists, alumni first responders, and city officials to discuss gun violence prevention with students.
• Councilman ThomasnotableOthers · 31 May 2022Councilman Thomas led the city-wide Enough is Enough Gun Violence Rally campaign, with SMHS students participating in the rally at City Hall.
• DOCs HealthcoreOthers · 11 May 2021DOCs Health provides on-site student COVID-19 testing at the school. Students are randomly assigned to testing groups of 20% of the population, with complex needs students tested weekly. Results are provided in 15 minutes and shared with the school nurse and parents.
• BebashicoreOthers · 22 October 2020Bebashi, a nonprofit public health agency, operates a monthly food pantry at Strawberry Mansion High School to provide supplemental food resources to students and families in need. Food is distributed on the fourth Wednesday of every month between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Funding for the project is provided by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services.
• Philadelphia Museum of ArtnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2020Scholars participated in field trips to the Designs for Different Futures exhibition, selected based on participation in arts courses, robotics club, and related activities. Students received guided tours and explored museum collections.
• CBS3 PhillyminorOthers · 23 January 2020CBS3 Philly covered the Special Olympics Unified Bocce tournament where SMHS scholars won third place out of 12 teams.
• Philadelphia Outward Bound SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2019The 9th Grade Academy partnered with Philadelphia Outward Bound School for team building activities and high ropes course challenges. Select students have opportunities for spring expedition trips.
• John Lennon Educational Tour BusnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2019The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a mobile audio and video recording studio that visited SMHS for two days. Students worked with professional engineers and musicians to produce media projects including music videos and documentaries.
• Kevin GatesminorOthers · 22 October 2019Rapper Kevin Gates visited the school during the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus visit to support student media projects and engage with students.
• 6abc Action NewsminorOthers · 22 October 20196abc Action News covered the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus visit to SMHS, providing positive media coverage of the school's music programs.
• Fox29minorOthers · 22 October 2019Fox29 provided television coverage of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus visit, showcasing the school's music education initiatives.
• University of Pennsylvania GRASP LabnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2019The school's Robotics team attended the 2019 Philly Robotics Expo hosted at UPenn's Singh Nanotechnology Center. Students participated in hands-on programming, design, and electromechanical engineering workshops alongside engineers from the GRASP Lab.
• Central High School RoboLancersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2019RoboLancers from Central High School hosted the 2019 Philly Robotics Expo, bringing together robotics teams from across the city.
• The Philadelphia InquirernotableOthers · 27 March 2019The Philadelphia Inquirer has published multiple in-depth articles about SMHS, including 'Forever Mansion?' and 'Capable of Greatness' that provide balanced coverage challenging negative stereotypes.
• Kristen Graham (Philadelphia Inquirer)minorOthers · 27 March 2019Inquirer reporter Kristen Graham has produced multiple in-depth articles documenting the school's transformation and challenges, providing fair journalism that goes beyond surface narratives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Germantown High School: Philadelphia public high school within SDP located in a similarly under-resourced neighborhood of North/Northwest Philadelphia. Comparable on urban-district mission, enrollment dynamics, and community-school identity.
• John Bartram High School: SDP public high school serving Southwest Philadelphia students with similar urban comprehensive mission, athletics programs, and CTE electives. Comparable for student population characteristics and district accountability framework.
• Overbrook High School: Philadelphia public high school within SDP serving West Philadelphia students with similar career-and-technical offerings and urban comprehensive high school format. Directly comparable for course catalog and student demographics.
• Central High School: Philadelphia public high school within SDP that fields robotics teams (RoboLancers) and a broad athletics program. Directly comparable as a SDP public comprehensive high school serving Philadelphia families with similar district-level constraints.
• Murrell Dobbins CTE High School: SDP career-and-technical-education-focused public high school. Comparable as a district-operated CTE public high school, particularly relevant to SMHS's Culinary Arts and Media Arts pathway positioning.
• Benjamin Franklin High School: Public high school within the School District of Philadelphia serving grades 9-12 with similar district-wide enrollment, college prep, and CTE offerings. Closest comparable for enrollment, governance, and curriculum structure.
• Thomas Edison High School: Philadelphia public high school within SDP emphasizing career and technical education with strong athletics and arts offerings. Comparable to SMHS for CTE differentiation, district governance, and student demographics.

Emerging players

• KIPP Philadelphia Charter School: Philadelphia public charter school network serving middle and high school grades with a college-prep mission. Comparable for competing head-to-head with SDP schools for the same urban Philadelphia families seeking strong postsecondary outcomes.
• The U School: Philadelphia-based public high school (district-affiliated innovation school) that competes for the same families considering SDP neighborhood schools. Comparable on urban Philadelphia high school market and college-prep mission.

Broad incumbents

• CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) High School: Philadelphia SDP magnet high school with deep arts programming. Comparable on arts/music curriculum overlap and the same district governance, and is a relevant alternative for Philadelphia families weighing arts-rich school choices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/therealsmhs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/strawberry-mansion-high-school

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 Strawberry Mansion High School