Recognized as a ”non-traditional academic haven for struggling students,” Our school is distinguished by its curricular focus on experiential learning through internship. We are built on the idea that all children learn differently, some learn by seeing some by hearing, others by doing. Education is individualized, helping young people to reach their full potential. We serve 600 students who have transferred from over 200 educational institutions from all over New York City and New York State. Often, these students are overage and under-credited with over 10 percent homeless, living in temporary shelters, or in foster care; safety transfers–students; young mothers and fathers utilizing on-campus childcare services; and teens leaving residential psychiatric facilities and correctional facilities. Our school helps provide a diverse group of committed interns to businesses, health centers, and organizations across all five boroughs, breaking down barriers and prejudices against the city's hardest-to-reach young people while providing them with real-world skills to help jumpstart their future.
My Project
Over the next three months, James "CERN" Quinn will work with our students and other muralists to create a new mural that represents the essence of our school. The students will meet each week for work sessions to aid in their discovery of the school's identity, exploration of design directions, the creation of prototypes, gathering of feedback, and final execution of the mural at our school. CERN has been working on murals at our school over the past three years in collaboration with academy students to celebrate the energy of the community. Cern, a native of New York City currently based in Brooklyn, got his start writing graffiti in the early nineties. Continued development as a visual artist and musician finds Cern painting murals and exhibiting works throughout South America, Europe and South Africa. Cern’s work has also been featured at the San Diego Museum of Art, Museu Brasileiro De Escultura in Sao Paulo, and Los Angeles MOCA.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Krajewski and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
