On Thursday, June 6, Harlem Children's Zone and the New York City Department of Education opened a new charter school at the St. Nicholas Houses on 129th St. According to DNAinfo.com, the new school is already helping a troubled neighborhood turn things around:
"We had this crazy idea that we could build an institution inside a housing project that would not just save the children, but transform the area," [Harlem Children's Zone President and CEO Geoffrey] Canada said.
The building will be the home of Promise Academy I, a k-12 school that now has 900 students at three different locations. The school will eventually enroll 1,300 students, with residents of St. Nicholas Houses getting priority for admission.
According to DNAinfo.com, the new five-story charter school has 52 classrooms, three science labs, two libraries and two outdoor playgrounds.
