Our History

NAF was founded in 1982 by Sanford I. Weill, Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup Inc., as a partnership between business leaders and educators.

Weill’s vision was to address the lack of opportunity for New York City public high school students. He designed a program that brought businesses and educators together to put students on a career path leading to Wall Street.

The New York City Board of Education accepted his program and, with a grant from the American Express Foundation, opened the first Academy of Finance (AOF) in a Brooklyn public high school in 1982.
 
Over the next 25 years, Weill, NAF staff, and corporate and civic partners collaborated to add career themes, including Academies of Hospitality & Tourism, Academies of Information Technology, and Academies of Engineering.
 
The National Academy Foundation was developed early on to support and unite the growing network of Academies across the country. NAF Academies now total approximately 500, serve 50,000 students, and operate in 41 states and the District of Columbia.