The Science Leadership Academy at Beeber has goals of inspiring their students to become educational leaders, writes Emily Rose Grassi and Frances Wang for NBC 10 Philadelphia.

As school districts across the nation face teacher shortages, the high school has launched a new career and technical education program to inspire them to fill those needs.

The new program is the first of its kind in Philadelphia, and provides students with the opportunity to learn how to become educators while gaining life skills they can use regardless of the career path they decide to pursue.

There are about two dozen juniors who are taking part in the school’s new program. 

Damani Knox, an 11th grader at Science Leadership Academy, is one of those students.

“I feel like I’m part of something big. A change that’s gonna happen in Philly and hopefully all over America,” she said. 

One of the biggest goals of the program is to create a student-to-teacher pipeline, with a focus on filling the need for Black and Brown students.

“Everyone is losing in a world where we don’t have teachers of color,” said Gabriel Kurlioff, assistant principal for SLA Beeber.

The program is in partnership with Temple University’s College of Education and the Center for Black Educator Development.

Read more about the new program at Science Leadership Academy at NBC 10 Philadelphia.

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