The National Academy Foundation announced its new name, tagline and accompanying look to build on the success it has achieved in over thirty years of transforming the high school experience to prepare students for college and career success while bolstering the nation’s workforce pipeline. The repositioning was also the inspiration for the Future Ready Innovation Fund, a $3.2 million commitment by the Citi Foundation.
The rebranding coupled with recent innovations including NAFTrack Certified Hiring – a commitment of eleven leading companies to give special hiring consideration to NAFTrack Certified graduates – and the infusion of STEM into all themes’ curricula, allows NAF to build on its track record of success, to help solve challenges facing education and the economy, and to help close the skills gap by filling the nation’s workforce pipeline with skilled and diverse talent.
Future innovation will further be supported by the Citi Foundation’s $3.2 million, five-year investment to the Future Ready Innovation Fund, which will enable NAF to improve organizational performance and introduce programmatic advances that will help prepare young people to be forward thinking and to develop skills that employers value. In its first year, Citi Foundation funding will support expanding entrepreneurship training in NAF schools through the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, a Citi Foundation partner, to help support young people who want to pursue the entrepreneurship path.
“The Be Future Ready initiative is responding to the need to prepare young people across the country with the relevant and diverse skill sets that will help them successfully compete in a 21st century economy,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. “Through the Future Ready Innovation Fund, the Citi Foundation is proud to work with NAF to bring the new campaign to life by supporting innovative programming that catalyzes professional success for young people.”
The new positioning will also give voice to the more than 81,000 NAF students across the country whose hard work and accomplishments elevate the movement for college, career and future readiness. These efforts are a culmination of a five-year strategic plan made possible by the generous support and investment of NAF’s corporate, foundation, and philanthropic champions and Board of Directors leading NAF’s $50 million Capital Growth Campaign.
“We want to embrace our time-honored name while using this moment to bring the organization, NAF innovations, and our vision to the next level. That’s where our tagline comes in: Be Future Ready – because it’s not just preparing students to be college and career ready, it’s about enabling all of our stakeholders to truly be future ready. While we may not know what the future holds, we do know our entire network will be ready for it,” said JD Hoye, President of NAF.
“NAF’s proven educational design has worked for over 30 years. We’ve done so much to change the trajectory for so many students, and we’re only getting started. With the new brand and the growing support, NAF is poised to truly transform high school education in this country to prepare a workforce of innovators and leaders. I’m excited to see what the future holds,” said Sandy Weill, NAF Founder and Chairman.
About NAF
NAF is a national network of education, business, and community leaders who work together to ensure high school students are college, career, and future ready. NAF’s educational design ignites students’ passion for learning and gives businesses the opportunity to shape America’s future workforce by transforming the learning environment to include STEM infused industry-specific curricula and work-based learning experiences, including internships. Since 1982, NAF has been partnering with existing high schools in high-need communities to enhance school systems at a low cost by implementing NAF academies – small learning communities within traditional high schools. NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City to hundreds of academies across the country focusing on growing industries including: finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, and health sciences. During the 2014-15 school year nearly 82,000 students attended 667 NAF academies across 38 states, including DC and the US Virgin Islands. In 2014, NAF academies reported 97% of seniors graduated with 93% of graduates planning to go to college. www.naf.org
About the Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com.