From the cobblestone streets of Old City to the trees and gardens along the Schuylkill River trail, Philadelphia is a city with character. It has world-class restaurants; museums and art galleries; four major league sports teams; and a thriving music scene. Philadelphia has the largest urban park in the country, Fairmount Park, complete with running paths, waterfalls, and a Japanese garden. But as much as any of these things, Philadelphia is known for being a city of small, walkable neighborhoods that make it feel comfortable and down-to-earth as well.

Of course, while Philadelphia is beautiful in so many ways, we know it has so much more potential waiting to be unlocked. This is where you come in. The nearly 200,000 students in Philadelphia public schools are the ones who will write our city’s future and it is on us—alongside our city’s thousands of other dedicated educators—to help prepare them for this task. We must help students build the knowledge, skills, and leadership traits and develop the social and cultural consciousness that will allow them to realize their full potential and become our city’s next generation of leaders.