Bard High School Early College celebrated the opening of a new Brooklyn campus on Tuesday, it's fourth public high school partnership with New York City Public Schools.
The ribbon cutting ceremony, at 301 Vermont St., also highlighted the tenth early college campus nationwide, according to a press release.
Alongside a New York State Regents Diploma, BHSEC Brooklyn will award students an Associate in Arts degree from Bard College, tuition-free and by the end of the 12th grade.
The new school will ultimately have 500 students, with 90% of seats committed to students from across Brooklyn, 40% specifically for families living in East New York and Brownsville.
“With a strong partnership that has spanned two decades, New York City Public Schools is Bard College’s most long-standing partner in early college work,” said vice president and dean of the Bard Early Colleges Dr. Dumaine Williams. “The opening of Bard High School Early College Brooklyn represents an exciting expansion of our collaboration and speaks to the success of the Bard Early College model here in New York City as well as in Newark, New Orleans, Cleveland, Baltimore, Hudson, and Washington, D.C. We are thrilled to deepen access to rigorous and intellectually inspiring opportunities for high school students in Brooklyn and across New York City."
BHSEC Brooklyn is also specifically designed to bring the Bard Early Colleges’ proven model and impact to students from Brooklyn, the press release said.
“Far too many generations of Brooklynites in East New York and Brownsville have faced unreasonable barriers to higher education, and the opening of Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) is an important step to finally tearing those barriers down,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “I’m proud to support the opening of BHSEC because children and families deserve accelerated learning opportunities that are both accessible and affordable to all – and Bard Early College’s model has not only proven to be a success for NYC students but nationwide.”
