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I can make a gift to my alma mater, but that would only be a drop in a large endowment bucket. At Harlem Academy, I know my gift is going to make a difference in the life of a child.
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Brief History
In 2001, Vincent Dotoli enrolled at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership to research and design a new school. He worked alongside Mark Tashjian, the head of school at Burr and Burton Academy (VT), and Nicolas Shea, an education reformer from Chile. Their project connected to a community ensnared by long-standing educational neglect and exposed a void in offerings for high-potential children. Planning continued for two years, and the school welcomed 12 grade-one students in September 2004.
Harlem Academy began its journey as Harlem Episcopal School. The name originated from a partnership with Harlem’s historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, whose rector, Dr. Johan Johnson, shared the school’s vision and aided in its incubation. In July 2005, the school relocated its operations and classes to its present location and was renamed Harlem Academy.
The founding plan focused on systematic, results-driven program development. The team added one grade for eight consecutive years, and the inaugural class will graduate in June 2012.
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