Real World Learning

Our Real World Learning (RWL) program is a foundational element of the Big Picture model and creates opportunities for students to learn with and in their community.

Under the guidance of a nurturing mentor, students engage in industry-specific, hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for the real world while growing their skills and self-confidence.

RWL is embedded in school schedules two days per week and guides students’ through identity and career exploration in- and outside the classroom.

Students progress through a four-phase continuum of learning experiences, starting with an introduction to career clusters and an examination of their role in their community, and advancing to internships, workforce certification opportunities, and post-secondary counseling.

Phase 1 – 9th graders and new students explore their passions in- and outside the classroom, learn basic professional skills, and complete a service-learning project in their community.

Phase 2 – 10th graders identify an interest area to focus on for the year and participate in group Learning Through Internship Cohorts (LTIC) where they engage in hands-on, industry-specific learning collaboratively.

Phase 3 – 11th graders choose an RWL Pathway. They identify a specific career to deepen their skills in and are paired with a real professional in that career to learn from. 

Phase 4 – 12th graders decide on a post-secondary pathway, create an action plan for achieving it after graduation, continue to build their industry-specific skills, and complete a professional portfolio.

Since opening our first school in 2009, 3,000+ Big Picture Philadelphia students gained real-world, professional experience through worksite internships and industry mentors.

127+ Big Picture Philadelphia students earned workforce certifications since we offered our first training course during the 2021-22 school year.