Overbrook High School

What They Do

Overbrook High School is a public high school in the Overbrook section of West Philadelphia. Known as “the castle on the hill,” Overbrook High School was built in 1924 and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania. The school, located on Lancaster Avenue, is just 5.5 miles from Bryn Mawr’s campus and has a student body made up of 973 students with 97 percent identifying as African American and 100 percent qualified as economically disadvantaged (data from academic year 2013-14, School District of Philadelphia). Overbrook High School’s mission is to equip students to become distinct individuals who are well-rounded in their interests, critically question their beliefs, are civically committed to their past, present and future communities, and possess the skills and knowledge necessary to become successful adults.

How We Work Together

Overbrook High School partners with Bryn Mawr to facilitate the Overbrook High School (OHS) Tutoring Program. Through this program, Bryn Mawr students either assist in math classrooms during the school day, working with OHS students one-on-one or in groups to provide additional instruction, or BMC students volunteer during after school programming through the Upward Bound Math and Science Program, helping OHS participants with their homework.