“Right away, I want kids thinking about the construction of truth, and how history looks different when you change the lens.” Middle school history teacher Jess Johnson reflects on teaching a history curriculum designed to help kids become active, thoughtful citizens.

Wuraola Adetola goes by many different names. Her parents call her “Wuraola.” Her friends call her “Wura.” At Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, however, she’s been dubbed the “Afrobeat Queen,” for bringing her love of dancing and an urge to try something new to create the Afrobeats Club.

This spring, Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts hosted a Meet Your Classmates event, inviting incoming freshmen to explore opportunities at the high school, talk to teachers and current scholars, and get a head-start on making new friends.

On June 21, scholars, staff, and families gathered to celebrate 400 Success Academy eighth graders as they graduated from middle schools across the network. Scholar speakers from each school shared their favorite memories and proudest achievements — and set ambitious goals for high school.

Julia Flete just completed a 14-week dance workshop at NYU Tisch, one of the most competitive dance schools in the country. In addition to her weekly classes after school and her advanced conservatory dance elective during the day, Julia spent every Saturday in the spring practicing with current Tisch college students and some of the country’s most promising high school dancers.

We’re so excited to announce that our very own Harlem North West 8th grader, Amaris Asiedu, won the Third Annual Young Readers Prize!

Thirteen years ago, the first-ever Success Academy kindergartners started out on an educational journey — with college as their destination. On June 6, these scholars walked across the stage of the New School’s John L. Tishman Auditorium to become Success Academy’s second class of graduates.

Amanda Levy loves teaching about the past — while preparing her scholars for their futures. As a ninth grade World History teacher at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, she’s used to discussing everything from Mongols to majors with her scholars.

Among the young women of the Ladies First Club, the most popular future profession is president of the United States, followed closely by a job in fashion. Every Tuesday at 4:00PM, the scholars of the Ladies First Club put on their signature hair bows, personalized with their names, and gather in room 344.

After serving in the military for over 11 years, John Bolsch joined Success Academy in May 2018 as a Business Operations Manager (BOM). We spent the day with John to learn more about what it takes to remain proactive and responsive to the fast-paced nature of school operations.

This week, Success Academy friends and supporters gathered at the 2019 Spring Benefit to celebrate and support the “Joy of Discovery” that drives our approach to science, technology, engineering, and math education (STEM). The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and recipient of the National Medal of Science, delivered the keynote address, touching on her own experience as the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT — in any field.

Earlier this month, SA Bronx 3 hosted an Autism Awareness Day to celebrate differences and teach about inclusion.

Track coach and teacher Ozzie Henderson is taking Success Academy’s track program to the next level, as this year’s indoor season and championship meet made clear.

This week, we are proud to welcome our first class of Robertson Leadership Fellows, 16 experienced professionals who have been selected for a two-year program designed to leverage their management expertise in other sectors as they learn the ins and outs of running outstanding schools. The Fellowship program provides intensive training, experiential learning, real-time coaching […]

We are excited to announce the 2019 Success Academy Excellence Award winners! This award honors faculty and staff across our schools who exemplify the excellence in education to which our entire community strives. This year, the award recognizes 220 faculty and staff members. Their commitment, talent, and hard work are an inspiration to all of […]

Before the curtains part to reveal the opening act of SA HSLA’s production of In the Heights, a huddle of scholars are quietly dimming the lights, troubleshooting the sound, and pulling aside lead actors, reminding them to project their lines. They are the tech crew, and they are the behind-the-scenes hands and hearts of SA HSLA’s plays and musicals.

Is a specialized high school the best option? Should I stay or go, is what many kids are asking themselves. In the case of Idalis Antonia Soto and Cana Iinuma, two SA scholars who were accepted to Brooklyn Tech last year, the answer was to stay. They’re now in the spring of their freshman year at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, and agreed to share how they came to their decisions and what they’re enjoying so far about this first year at SA HSLA.

Rooms buzzing with energy; blue and orange backs hunched over chessboards; the murmur and occasional shout of unsolicited advice; cheering and a little good-humored trash talk from scholars looking on as their peers scrimmage between tournament games; coaches doling out words of encouragement, guidance — and occasional remonstrance; and child after child heading off to […]

SA Union Square is buzzing as performers run through a tech rehearsal for the annual Performing Arts Festival. The festival has been in the works since the fall, with schools from across the network refining dance, chorus, band, theater, and poetry pieces in hopes that they will be included in the evening’s program. All in all, 363 scholars from 16 schools were selected to perform in the event on February 20 — a sold-out success.

Every school at SA has its own psychologist, who works closely with scholars to help them thrive. Traci at SA Harlem 4, and Alexandra Franklin at SA Bronx 2 Middle School, are two such experts who make it their mission to provide dedicated support for our scholars. Here, they come together to discuss what healthy stress management looks like and offer suggestions for supporting scholars at home.

Every February Success Academy enjoys visits from some very important “guests.” Michelle Obama, Malcolm X, Hank Aaron, Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, and Morgan Freeman are just a few of the legends who can be spotted in our classrooms during Black History Month.

Three of SA HSLA’s most promising debaters flew to Emory University in Atlanta recently to compete in the Barkley Forum. Extremely selective, the Barkley Forum admits only two or three competitors from schools with strong speech and debate programs each year. This year, juniors Tajaih Robinson and Bintou Cisse, as well as sophomore Silma Bathily, made their way down South to test their prowess against the nation’s top debaters.

When Tyreen Sims decided to change careers from psychologist to teacher, she hadn’t expected to work across the street from where she grew up — with a principal she’s known since elementary school. This is the happy accident that unfolded at Success Academy Harlem 2, where Tyreen started as a lead science teacher in 2015. She took us inside her school to show us exactly what makes it feel like home.

Success Academy debaters and athletes competed in some major tournaments this January, marking several significant milestones for our programs. We’re excited to share the news about these incredible accomplishments!