Last chance high
For students in Kensington who have dropped out of high school, El Centro de Estudiantes offers a second chance at graduation which, for some, means a chance at a better life.
Listen 49:01
Doug Cox (left) teaches mathematics and engineering at El Centro. He also leads the Dark Knights chess club. (Kimberly Paynter/Keystone Crossroads)
For students in Philadelphia who have dropped out of high school, returning to education and earning a diploma can be exceptionally difficult. Trauma, poverty, abuse, and criminal records are often just some of the barriers these students must overcome in order to finish school.
But the teachers and staff at Kensington’s El Centro de Estudiantes aim to create a supportive environment to give their students a chance. Today, WHYY’s KEVIN MCCORRY joins us to talk about El Centro, the subject of the first two episodes of the new season of Schooled, a WHYY podcast. Former El Centro student RYAN RIVERA and current El Centro teacher DOUG COX also join to talk about the role of the school in their lives along with DAVID BROMLEY, executive director of Big Picture Philadelphia, the national organization that runs El Centro.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Brought to you by Radio Times
Radio Times
WHYY's Radio Times is an engaging and timely call-in program that tackles wide-ranging issues of concern to listeners in the Delaware Valley.
Subscribe for free
School funding in Pa. has to change. Does N.J. have the answers?
In a landmark court decision, Pa.'s school funding system was ruled unconstitutional. Now, lawmakers have to address its underlying inequities.
Air Date: June 27, 2023
Listen 35:39
A look at the trial — and ruling — that could change Pa.’s school funding system forever
Pennsylvania’s constitution says the legislature has to provide for a “thorough and efficient” system of schools. But what does that really mean?
Air Date: June 20, 2023
Listen 32:11
What two starkly different Philly-area high schools tell us about how Pa. funds education
Two neighboring public schools show the inequity of school funding. “Schooled” looks into the forces at play, and how a lack of resources affects everyday life.
Air Date: June 13, 2023
Listen 27:21