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A Tale of Two Schools: Bronx Science & DeWitt Clinton

Tiffany Garcia

19/11/2023 19:01

In which borough should your idea take place?: Bronx
Do you have a specific neighborhood(s) in mind?: Bedford Park, Surrounding Norwood/Fordham, & South Bronx
Which audience(s) does your idea help? Select as many as apply.: Youth

Justice impacted individuals

Limited English proficient individuals

Low income individuals

Black, Indigenous, and POC

LGBTQ+ community

Immigrants and/or migrants

People with disabilities
Describe the challenge you want to address:: Although The Bronx High School of Science, a specialized high school, and DeWitt Clinton High School, a large zone school, are within a 11-minute walking distance from each other, the income and educational gap between the two is apparent. While Clinton is made up of more than 50% Latinx & Black students from low-income neighborhoods all over the Bronx, Bronx Science is primarily made up of middle class White & Asian students from Manhattan and Queens who travel more than an hour to get to school. There is a lack of representation at Bronx Science. Our Latinx & Black students are minorities inside a school located in a borough where residentially they are a majority. Bronx Science provides their students with access to better academic and professional resources, many resources that many low-income Bronx high schoolers would benefit from, and change the course of their education and future careers.
Describe your idea and approach to address the challenge:: While there are various programs throughout NY to combat the educational disparities in higher ed, we need to start setting up our Bronx students for success at an earlier stage: middle school. Various low-income students from the Bronx want to pass the NYC Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), and receive a quality education from specialized schools. At times students who do take the exam fail by 1 or 5 points, showcasing a lack of preparation. Some students describe learning about the exam from their teachers days before they were scheduled to take it, also showcasing a lack of awareness of the exam. Many come from first-gen households whose parents understand the value of education, but do not have the resources to teach their children. Setting up an educational training program for 8th graders around the Bronx, and focusing on prepping students to pass the SHSAT at no-cost could be the difference between students graduating or falling behind. The after school or weekend program would focus on: 1.) tutoring students on ELA & Math test subjects, 2.) providing healthy snacks during the session, 3.) a Metrocard if needed, and 4.) providing mentorship with current POC Bronx high schoolers attending specialized high schools. By providing these resources, 8th graders will have more training than typically provided, achieve better scores on their SHSATs, and gain acceptances to Bronx Science (or other specialized high schools) to better their education and future. Eliminating educational, financial, and professional barriers can positively impact the lives of these students who are typically forgotten and overlooked in the Bronx.
Write the zipcode that best represents your New York City community:: 10458