A recognized leader in the education of children in need, Girard College has an unmatched 175-year history of providing a quality educational experience for economically disadvantaged children on its 43-acre campus in the heart of Philadelphia.
In its mission statement, Girard College is described as a boarding school for academically capable students, grades 1 through 12, from families with limited financial resources, each headed by a single parent or guardian.
But it is much more than that.
Home and school to orphan boys from 1848 to 1984, home and school to boys and girls from 1984 to the present, Girard has nurtured the minds, bodies and spirits of at-risk children for 175 years.
The school's benefactor, Stephen Girard (1750-1831), left his generous estate to educate and care for needy children. As long as Girard College has existed, all its students have received full scholarships, benefitted from strong academic and extracurricular programs and lived safely on an enclosed, 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Programs at Girard College have changed over its history to prepare students for success. Today Girard is a college prep school with virtually 100% of its graduates going on to college or university.
Girard has an unprecedented history of supporting those who are most in need of a quality educational experience, always mindful of our core values: respect, integrity, responsibility, compassion and self-discipline.