Almost everything in our lives can be disposable if we want, and I’m not against paper plates, but there may be need of an anchor as well. ~ Ardis James

For far too long, far too many kids in this very prosperous country have lacked the opportunity to realize their potential. They have been ill-served by an education system that is ill-equipped to meet their evolving needs. Explicitly or implicitly, their lives and futures have been treated as if they were disposable.
When Generation Schools was little more than a vision, the Robert and Ardis James Foundation offered support. Five years later, Generation Schools has opened two schools, each serving more than 350 students, and its ideas are spreading and being implemented by other schools. Brooklyn Generation has graduated two classes, and almost a hundred kids who — if judged by statistics — would not have graduated high school, and are now in college. None of this would have been possible without the steadfast support of the Robert and Ardis James Foundation.
This quilt is a stand against disposability. The images are clear statements of identity — by kids articulating who they are, what matters to them, and where they are going. Because of your support, they will go on to do great things.

Brooklyn Generation School Assistant Principal Louis Garcia participated in a rare opportunity to engage with students and educators on how the complexities of racial identity affect the success and educational attainment when Brooklyn College hosted a panel discussion on April 11, Secrets of the Successful Latino and Black Males sponsored by the Black and Latino Male Initiative and Magner Career Center. The event, which also included professors and leaders in the arts and business, moderated by Dean of the School of Business Willie Hopkins, is an important contribution to the public discourse as colleges grapple with these issues and recognize that there is a need to support males of color, and other educationally marginalized groups. The Brooklyn College Black and Latino Male Initiative (BLMI) is designed to support students academically and professionally throughout their college career. While the program and its activities are open to all academically eligible students without regard to race, gender, national origin or other characteristics, the core mission of BLMI is to increase the number of men of African and Latino descent and other historically underrepresented groups who enroll in and graduate from college.

On April 17, Brooklyn Generation School had a visit from NY Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) as part of an examination Generation Schools’ innovative approach to college and career preparation.  GSN co-founder Jonathan Spear describes the HESC interaction with BGS students:

“It’s clear that they [the students] feel connected to the adults, heard, understood, and supported.  They’re clear about how Brooklyn Generation is different.  They were touching when they talked about their college plans.  John said, ‘You know how when you go to buy a video game, you can download a demo for free?  You can try it out and decide if you like it?  That’s what the Intensives are like.’  Raysa said, ‘I wanted to be an actress. So I picked a theater arts intensive.  But I was bad at it.  Then I learned that I can’t cook.  Then I took an intensive with Ms. Hill, careers in medicine.  I’ve been part of the Arthur Ashe Institute’s Science Academy.  Now I am going to SUNY Geneseo where I’ll major in biology.”

HESC is an essential partner in making the College & Career Intensives program possible at Brooklyn Generation School. For more information about HESC and their work, click here.

See the coverage of West Generation Academy’s new Learning Garden in EdNews Colorado: http://www.ednewscolorado.org/news/planting-school-gardens-everywhere

“Under cloudy skies on a recent Friday morning, 13-year-old B’Azsae Gale concentrated on burying a feisty irrigation hose in the soil of a white modular planter that is part of a new “learning garden” on Denver’s West Campus.

As Gale pushed the hose down, calling for more soil from wheelbarrow-toting classmates, he mused about the vegetables he hopes to plant…” Read Article