For 25 years, the 49ers Academy has successfully fostered connections between students, families, teachers, and community service agencies to ensure that all students have their holistic needs met and are equipped to reach their full potential. We take pride in doing whatever it takes for our students and their families.
In 1996, the 49ers Academy was founded as an alternative program for middle school students. Working in partnership with Ravenswood City School District (RCSD) and the San Francisco 49ers Foundation, our goal was to keep students safe, on-track, and in school.
In 2013, the 49ers Academy expanded to include high school students and help them successfully transition from middle school to Menlo-Atherton High School.
We provide adolescent students with a community of support that empowers them to be engaged in school, reach their full potential, and achieve academic and personal success in middle school, high school and beyond.
We envision a future where the possibilities, opportunities, and dreams for all youth are limitless regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic circumstances.
Michele Sharkey, a Palo Alto native, was learning the ropes as the Ravenswood City School District’s community relations specialist in 1991 when she saw first-hand the striking needs of students in East Palo Alto. She was concerned that the dramatic disparity between that community and adjacent, affluent neighborhoods created significant educational inequity that was, in most cases, damaging to students’ outcomes and futures.
Motivated to help East Palo Alto students succeed in school and graduate with a purpose and a plan, Michele founded the 49ers Academy in 1996 under the direction of the Ravenswood City School District. As an innovative public/private partnership, the Academy endeavored to close the achievement gap by bringing programs and services directly to underserved students on-site at school.
Michele went on to serve as the Academy’s executive director for 25 years and also co-founded the Ravenswood Education Foundation in 2006. Under Michele’s leadership, the 49ers Academy built strong partnerships with school district leaders, philanthropic organizations, and community agencies to deliver an innovative program that gives East Palo Alto youth a path to long-term success. Since its inception, the 49ers Academy has connected thousands of students with the relationships and resources they need to succeed in school.
In early 2021, Michele passed the torch to newly appointed Executive Director Tahisha Victor. Tahisha previously worked with Michele as the 49ers Academy’s Deputy Director and holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a Master of Social Work with a specialization in organizational management. Building on her 15-year career in the non-profit sector as a crisis manager, program analyst, executive coach, and executive, Tahisha is ready to lead the 49ers Academy through its next exciting chapter as a champion for equity in education and a life-changing partner for East Palo Alto youth.