Accelerating Economic Mobility & Educational Opportunity
ABOUT US: HEIGHTS' STRATEGIC PLAN
Heights is a new kind of organization, an Economic Mobility Catalyst — working to create pathways to educational and workforce success for low-income, Black and Brown, and first-generation-to-college students. These pathways are the foundation of a more equitable and prosperous Philadelphia.
ADVISING
We provide college and career advising and financial support to 3000+ students, beginning in middle school and continuing through career.
CAREER PATHWAYS
We create defined pathways to key industries that provide family sustaining pay and career opportunity in the Philadelphia region.
PARTNERSHIPS
We build transformative partnerships to make educational systems and the workforce better for Philadelphia youth.
COMMUNITY
We connect students to a community of support and network of people who invest in their success.
Heights is committed to transforming pathways for young people across the city. Here are the results we are dedicated to:
- Students graduate college with an associate degree within three years or a bachelor’s degree within six years, with minimal debt.
- Philadelphia’s high school and college graduation rates increase.
- Students secure full-time, high skilled employment with benefits and a living wage.
- Philadelphia is a city where young people thrive.
Heights’ Accelerating Economic Mobility and Educational Opportunity strategic plan focuses on three key initiatives:
By 2029, Heights will create pathways to college and career for 5,000 students through education, internships, and training.
Heights will achieve this by:
Aligning programs to impact: Create a seamless program from middle school through career, based on research and evaluation, that is aligned to impact.
Defining industry pathways: Define and implement the essential program components for key industry pathways.
Developing and leveraging partnerships: Implement a partnership plan that accelerates student trajectories towards economic mobility.
By 2029, Heights will change systems that have historically limited education and career outcomes for our students.
Heights will achieve this by:
Developing our foundation: Define systems in which we can push for change that accelerates youth toward educational opportunity and economic mobility.
Growing partnerships for change at the system level: Establish partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia, post-secondary partners, and industry leaders that advance opportunities and equity for young people in Philadelphia.
Collaborating for change with communities: Create coalitions of partners to expand and empower community-based advocacy efforts.
Measuring and sharing our impact: Measure collective efforts that support system change and pathways to system improvement. Keep community members, students, alumni, and others within local systems informed of progress and the potential of system change.
By 2029, Heights will have a sustainable financial and operational model to achieve its vision of city-wide impact at scale.
Heights will achieve this by:
Financial stewardship: Implement a funding strategy driven by a business plan that increases revenue growth and manages expenses to sustainably scale programming.
Optimizing operations for scale: Build an operational model that enables us to do our best work, at scale.
Becoming a “best of” employer: Invest in building an engaged, supported, and developed staff to deliver high-impact services to our students.
Being a learning organization: Create an organizational culture of reflection, adaptation, and data-informed decision making to increase impact for students.
Engaging community: Inform, engage with, and influence key organizational constituencies to compel action that will further our vision.
The “Accelerating Economic Mobility and Educational Opportunity” plan for 2024-2029 requires all of us to work together. Help us take Philadelphia youth to new heights today.