Academy of Finance at Paint Branch High School Receives Award from the National Academy Foundation

The Rebecca F. Baber Academy of Finance program at Paint Branch High School has been honored as one of five most improved National Academy Foundation (NAF) academies in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The award was presented on July 20 by the NAF, in partnership with American Express, to Jeanette Dixon, principal; Rebecca Baber, site coordinator; and Sandra Navidi, program director, at the NAF Institute for Staff Development in Washington, DC. The $5,000 award recognizes the Academy of Finance team’s successful efforts to reach criteria for program excellence, such as graduation rate and percent of placements in paid internships. The award may be used for student scholarships and awards, or for programmatic support.

The Academy of Finance at Paint Branch High School began in 2003 and operates as a "school within a school." It introduces students to the broad career opportunities in the financial services industry and includes paid internships at banks, brokerage houses, and other businesses that deal with finance and accounting practices.

The Academy of Finance also is offered at Albert Einstein, Gaithersburg, Col. Zadok Magruder, Northwest, and Watkins Mill high schools. More than 500 students participate in AOF programs. For more information contact Sandra Navidi at 240-632-6938 or email her at Sandra_L_Navidi@mcpsmd.org.