HILL-FREEDMAN WORLD ACADEMY SCHOOL

At a Glance

Principal
Anthony Majewski | E-mail

Phone: 215-400-3530
Fax: 215-400-3531

Student Enrollment: 700

Address:
1100 E Mt. Pleasant Street
Philadelphia, PA 19150

SEPTA Routes:
K, L & 18

Mission & Approach to Learning

HFWA’s mission is to provide a rigorous academic learning environment that fosters lifelong learners who are committed to being knowledgeable, caring and internationally-minded citizens

HFWA is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. IB programs:

  • Emphasize learning how to learn
  • Empower each student for lifetime learning, independently and in collaboration with others
  • Prepares a community of learners to engage with global challenges through inquiry, action and reflection.

What We Offer

Points of Pride

  • World Class Caring Staff
  • Home of the Germantown Sports Supersite
  • State-of-the-art biology and chemistry labs
  • Four original student albums produced on the school’s label, Hill-Freedman Records. Only state-of-the-art full music recording studio in the United States.
  • Over 95% college acceptance rate with the support of in house non-profit organization, 12 PLUS
  • The class of 2021 earned more than $1.5 million in scholarship money
  • Specialized programs for students with Complex Support Needs that encompass a wide variety of exceptionalities and intellectual abilities including autism, intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, physical disabilities and language impairments.

Our History

Our school is named after three individuals with significant roles in the history of education in Philadelphia

Joseph E. Hill was born in Philadelphia in the summer of 1855. He graduated from the Institute for Colored Youth in June of 1873. Most of his life was spent as an instructor in the Institute, which became Cheyney State Teachers’ College. He was most noted by his contemporaries as being an outstanding teacher and a tireless worker. In 1881, he and seven others organized the Amphion Society, a colored male choral association that achieved much prominence at the time. He died of pneumonia on January 18, 1892.

Samson L. Freedman was a teacher who dedicated his life to improving relations between people. He was the force behind establishing the District Six Human Relations Teachers Group. He was a prime mover in the acceptance of the P.F.T. to help teachers gain more recognition. He worked with the NAACP Northwest Branch, and was a President of the Greater West Oak Lane Coordinating Council, an umbrella group of neighborhood civil groups. After his term was completed, he started a northwest neighbors group to help stabilize a changing neighborhood population shift. He was a leader in his synagogue and lived his beliefs.

Morris E. Leeds was an electrical engineer known for inventions in the fields of electrical measuring devices and controls. He was a graduate of Haverford College and the University of Berlin, and he founded Leeds & Northrup Co, a Philadelphia electrical instrument manufacturer. He was inducted into the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Academy of Political and Social Sciences.

Courses & Program Highlights

  • Hill Freedman offers the internationally recognized and benchmarked International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (grades 9 & 10) and Diploma Program (grades 11 & 12)
  • International Baccalaureate Continuum for 9th-12th Grade College Preparedness and potential college credit through the IB Diploma Program courses
  • Self-Discovery through the Personal Project, Theory of Knowledge course and 150 hours of Community, Action and Service

Extracurricular Activities

  • Academic Support
  • Art Club
  • Award Winning Drumline
  • Black Student Union
  • Gay Straight Aliance
  • Hill Freedman Records
  • Maker Space
  • Model UN
  • National Honors Society
  • PLUS Leaders Program
  • PSAT/SAT Prep offered at 12Plus Center
  • Social Media Club
  • Unified Sports

Sports Teams

  • Baseball—Boys & Girls
  • Basketball—Boys
  • Football—Boys—Partnership with MLK
  • Soccer—Boys & Girls
  • Track and Field—Indoor & Outdoor—Coed
  • Volleyball—Girls
  • Wrestling—Boys—Partnership with MLK

Partnerships

  • Philadelphia School Partnership (provided $1.95 million grant for high school expansion)
  • LiveConnections and Teaching Artist Program for high school music technology class
  • Einstein Fellows
  • Special Olympics of Philadelphia
  • WHYY – Media Labs
  • School practicum site for students from the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University
  • 12Plus career and college program providing students and parents support on all aspects of college preparation
  • Partnership with Drexel University and the School District of Philadelphia for three off-site classroom for students with special needs
  • Ember @ Spring Point for expansion of music technology program

Admission Criteria

  • Grades: As and Bs and two Cs
  • Attendance: 90%
  • Standardized Test: 50th Percentile in ELA or
    50th Percentile in Math