Kwenda Collegiate Girls Charter School, a new K-5, tuition-free, public girls’ school will open in August on Church Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Kwenda signed a 10-year lease for the 44,114-square-foot, two-story building at 2520 Church Ave. in September 2024, in a deal brokered by Open Impact Real Estate, according to a press release.
In March, Kwenda and McGowan Construction and Studios Architecture will start renovations to what was the former Holy Cross School to create new spaces and amenities that will enrich student learning and growth.
“Our new state-of-the-art school facility will provide Brooklyn families with immersive learning experiences aligned with our mission to provide girls, regardless of income, within a school designed with girls and gender-expansive youth at the center," said Christina Yi-Perry, founder and executive director of Kwenda Collegiate Girls Charter School.
Open Impact Real Estate acquired the building, formerly occupied by St. Gregory the Great, a Catholic school that closed in 2019. It is located near the 2, 5, B and Q trains and the B35, B41, B44 and B49 bus lines, the press release said.
Although initially approved for construction by the SUNY Charter School Institute Trustees in 2019, the project was delayed because of New York state's cap on the number of charter schools allowed in New York City. Renovations will now begin after Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature gave the project the green light last year.
Once completed in June, the K-5 tuition-free public girls’ school will feature 14 indoor classrooms, a school library, a cafeteria and an outdoor classroom space for immersive nature experiences that promote mental and emotional wellness and a space for art and science projects.
The school's curriculum will prioritize science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) and will include more than two hours of literacy instruction daily. The school will have two teachers in each classroom and will emphasize social-emotional learning and daily literacy and empowerment classes.
