Academic Programs

Department of Education Showcase School

Showcase Schools host three half-day visits throughout the year to share promising practices in a specific learning focus area. On these tours, visiting educators explore innovative systems and structures aimed to better support student achievement. Then, educators bring these practices back to their own schools to drive improvements. In the program’s inaugural 2014-15 school year, 98.6% of participants found the visit experience to be valuable, and 55% of participants traveled out-of-borough to visit a Showcase site.

The Edible Schoolyard Project

Established in 2010, Edible Schoolyard NYC is a nonprofit organization committed to bringing Alice Waters’ vision to New York City public schools. When Alice Waters, acclaimed restaurateur and food activist, created the Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley, California in 1995, she knew the best way to teach children the connections between food, health, and the environment was by integrating an edible education program into our schools’ everyday curriculum.

As the first official “Founding Edible Schoolyard” in the Northeast, Edible Schoolyard NYC has adapted the Edible Schoolyard Project curriculum and vision to fit the unique needs of New York City public school children. We are inspired by the Berkeley program and are an autonomous nonprofit dedicated to New York City.

Urban Advantage Science Initiative

Since 2004, eight of New York City’s leading cultural institutions — including museums, zoos, and botanical gardens — have worked with the New York City Department of Education to support effective science instruction in the city’s middle schools.  This unprecedented partnership was called “Urban Advantage” to highlight the unique concentration of science-rich cultural institutions students can access in New York City. Participating institutions include: the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden, the New York Hall of Science, the Queens Botanical Garden, the Staten Island Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium, and the New York City Department of Education, with leadership funding from the New York City Council.

Algebra for All Program

The global economy requires students to have strong analytical skills to compete in college and beyond. Improving math skills and outcomes for all of our students is at the heart of this work. Research has established that students who successfully pass Algebra by no later than 9th grade are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, and graduate from college. To improve outcomes for all students The Algebra for All initiative will focus on three key goals:

1. Work with elementary and middle schools to improve student readiness for Algebra and high school math instruction

2. Support teachers to be successful in teaching pre-algebra coursework and Algebra, and

3. Engage students and families to strengthen their capabilities and mindset to be successful

CHAMPS

In the CHAMPS Sports and Fitness Program, students participate in fun, safe, and supervised sports and fitness activities before school, after school, and on weekends. The name CHAMPS stands for Cooperative, Healthy, Active, Motivated and Positive Students.

Participating in CHAMPS can help students:

• Stay active

• Learn new sports and fitness activities that they can continue beyond their school years

• Learn how to work as a team and collaborate with others

Facing History Program

Our mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry.

By studying the historical development of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide, students make the essential connection between history and the moral choices they confront in their own lives.

Computer Science for All Program

In September 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Computer Science For All (CS4All), a 10-year initiative to scale computer science education to 100% of the city’s public schools. CS4All is a public-private partnership between CSNYC and the City of New York and the NYC Department of Education.

Empire After School Program

The Department of Education through the Office of Community Schools was awarded the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Empire State After-School Program grant. This grant supports schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn with the development and expansion of quality after school programs. Activities reflect a balanced schedule of academic support, including tutoring and homework help, social/emotional learning, physical activity/wellness, and prevention services.