Primary Cause

Education

Secondary Cause

Youth Development

NAF helps solve some of the biggest challenges in education and the economy by bringing academic, business and community leaders together to transform the high school experience and ensure students are college, career and future ready.

NAF was founded in 1982 when visionary financier and philanthropist Sanford I. Weill imagined a public academy that would prepare students for careers in the financial services industry. His proposal to the New York City Board of Education resulted in the creation of the first Academy of Finance, which served 35 seniors in a Brooklyn public high school.

NAF has since expanded into a dynamic network serving more than 88,000 students in 716 career academies—small, focused learning communities within public high schools themed around growing industries like engineering, finance, health sciences, hospitality and tourism, and information technology. NAF targets underserved and at-risk students, placing them on track to graduate through a proven educational design emphasizing STEM-infused, industry-specific curricula and work-based learning, including internships. NAF engages corporate partners to shape America's future workforce and empowers students to reach their full potential. Research attests to the profound impact of a career academy education, and NAF students consistently outperform their non-NAF peers—in 2015, 98% of NAF seniors graduated, and 92% reported plans to attend college.