HARLEM ACADEMY
Five-Year Strategic Plan
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INTRODUCTION
At the heart of this plan is a simple conviction: ability and determination should define a student’s opportunities – not zip code, lottery, or financial circumstances. The priorities outlined here reflect the collective voices of our community, gathered through extensive focus groups and surveys of parents, staff, alumni and their families, supporters, and trustees. Together, we affirmed our mission to drive equity of opportunity for promising students and charted a path that honors Harlem Academy’s legacy of bold vision, disciplined growth, and transformational outcomes. This plan builds on the school’s core strengths: academic rigor, authentic relationships, and a valuesdriven, joyful culture. It is our roadmap to a future of long-term sustainability and even greater impact.
VISION
Our vision is to provide transformational opportunities to promising elementary and middle school students whose potential might otherwise go unrealized and to serve as a K-8 innovation center for developing and disseminating best practices.
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Our History of Strategic Growth Founding 2002-2006
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Developed the school’s vision through a Columbia Teachers College master’s project
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Raised early support from community and philanthropic partners
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Secured classroom space in a church basement and opened with 12 first graders
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Moved into rented storefronts at 1330 Fifth Avenue Our community meeting was first held in 2005 and endures as a tradition to this day.
Growth & Proof of Concept 2006-2012
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Added a new class each year, growing to serve grades 1-8
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Earned the New York Times Nonprofit Excellence Award
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Adopted the School Creed and community pillars
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Received full accreditation from NYSAIS
After years of steady growth, our inaugural class graduated in 2012.
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Planning for Permanence 2012-2016
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Expanded secondary school placement and alumni support
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Solidified the curriculum, building on lessons learned
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Launched a capital campaign for a future campus
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Celebrated the first class of alumni as they matriculated to college
The school purchased its half-acre lot in the heart of Harlem.
Campus Development 2016-2021
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Saw our first alumni cohort graduate from college
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Published eight papers sharing educational best practices
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Completed construction of a 30,000-square-foot permanent campus
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Concluded the $32.4 million capital campaign to move in debt-free
The doors opened to our permanent home at 655 St. Nicholas Avenue.
Doubling Enrollment 2021-2026
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Added key entry points in kindergarten and sixth grade
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Expanded programming in arts, athletics, foreign language, and wellness
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Added 110 new students to reach the building's full capacity
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Began building the school’s endowment
Our new library serves as the inspirational center of the school.
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Our New Strategic Priorities
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Deepen Programmatic Excellence Advance a rigorous, joyful student experience grounded in exceptional teaching, meaningful enrichment, and engaged family partnership.
Expand Resources for a Growing Alumni Community Equip our alumni with the guidance, relationships, and opportunities to thrive beyond Harlem Academy.
Position Harlem Academy for its Next Chapter of Scaled Impact Amplify Harlem Academy’s model and mission through broader educational influence and campus expansion.
Ensure Long-Term Financial Strength and Organizational Stability Secure the leadership, governance, and resources needed to sustain transformational impact over the long term.
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Deepen Programmatic Excellence Programmatic excellence is not just one priority among many; it anchors every aspect of the school’s work and is the lens through which all other decisions are made.
GOALS | INITIATIVES
Exceptional teaching, core skill development, and strong content knowledge will remain at the center of the student experience. As we move forward, we will pursue targeted opportunities to strengthen student wellness, engagement, and personal growth, while ensuring we never dilute the academic rigor that defines us or overstretch the faculty who make this excellence possible.
Sustain exceptional teaching practices and student outcomes.
Expand parents’ role as partners in advancing the mission.
• Hire and retain top-tier faculty.
• Strengthen the family
• Deliver differentiated professional development focused on highimpact, data-driven instruction.
• Create leadership pathways for experienced teachers.
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partnership association.
• Provide families with clear
guidance to support learning, character, and wellness at home.
Enrich the student experience. • Strengthen technology literacy,
• Expand service opportunities
• Formalize instruction in rhetorical
• Strengthen student leadership
including the ethical and effective use of emerging tools. and presentation skills.
• Add athletic and academic
enrichment opportunities that support student interests and secondary school readiness.
to uplift our School Creed and strengthen the school community. and social engagement opportunities.
• Deepen structured exposure to
universities and career pathways.
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Expand Resources for a Growing Alumni Community Our mission is fulfilled not at graduation, but in the futures our students go on to shape. We support alumni in carrying the values, habits, and confidence they have developed into the next stages of their lives. Having recently doubled enrollment, we will scale our support systems for secondary school placement, college access, and professional journeys.
GOALS | INITIATIVES
Ensure strong secondary school placement.
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Expand the network of mission- aligned target schools.
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Scale placement systems while maintaining individualized guidance.
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Embed placement preparation into the academic program so students are challenged without being overwhelmed.
Facilitate college and career pathways for a growing alumni base. •
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Scale college access systems to guide enrollment in selective, best-fit colleges and persistence through graduation. Provide exposure and entry pathways to a wide range of careers.
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Build skills in resume development, networking, and job search strategy.
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Develop an alumni mentoring model that supports key transition points.
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Strengthen the alumni network through meaningful engagement in the life of the school.
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Position Harlem Academy for its Next Chapter of Scaled Impact Our vision calls on us to deepen our impact within our school and broaden our reach beyond our walls. We will strengthen our role as a model institution, sharing replicable practices that drive transformational outcomes. In parallel, we will lay the foundation for campus expansion, fulfilling the original two-phase plan to add a gym, theater, full-service dining hall, and nine more classrooms. Together, these efforts will elevate the program, extend Harlem Academy’s proven model to almost 150 additional students, and amplify our influence by reaching educators nationwide.
GOALS | INITIATIVES
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Model best practices for other schools.
Launch and execute a capital campaign.
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Articulate a compelling vision for expansion.
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Launch a dedicated Campaign Committee.
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Build a robust prospect pipeline to ensure feasibility and campaign success.
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Host, advise, and share resources with mission-aligned schools, extending our impact beyond our walls. Publish and present successful practices in advancing transformational outcomes for high-potential students.
Ensure readiness for campus expansion. •
Refine campus designs with constituent input.
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Create a plan for construction that protects the quality of the program and student experience.
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Confirm financial and programmatic readiness before committing to construction, and set additional endowment targets for phased enrollment growth.
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Ensure LongTerm Financial Strength and Organizational Stability Harlem Academy’s mission depends on a strong financial foundation and leadership that can sustain excellence for generations to come.
GOALS | INITIATIVES
With full enrollment and a growing alumni community, our focus is long-term resilience: sustaining a robust annual fund, growing the endowment, expanding board capacity, and planning for leadership continuity. Our goal is to ensure the school’s bold aspirations over the next five years are matched with the stability and discipline needed for the next 50 years.
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Continue building financial resources. • •
Add $8 million in new gifts, growing the endowment beyond $20 million. Add $1 million to the facilities reserve, aligned with a rolling 10-year replacement plan.
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Expand participation in planned giving.
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Maintain sufficient liquid reserves and prudent financial policies.
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Consistently exceed annual fund targets.
Ensure strong governance, leadership, and institutional effectiveness. •
Expand the Board with new trustees who bring diverse expertise.
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Advance senior staff succession planning.
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Strengthen the Junior Board and Advisory Council to cultivate the next generation of leadership.
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Explore the use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to enhance instruction, fundraising, operations, and administrative effectiveness.
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655 St. Nicholas Avenue New York, NY 10030 harlemacademy.org 212.348.2600
Board of Trustees Carol B. Kenney, Chair Rodney Pope, Secretary Thomas Klein, Treasurer Tony Asnes Richard A. Axilrod Avi Banyasz W. Graham Cole Vincent Dotoli, Ex Officio Ty Elie P ’16 Robert L. Harteveldt Valarie A. Hing Samantha Lipton Ann MacRae Elizabeth McHenry Betsy S. Michel David B. Peterson Hank Prybylski Tom Reycraft Kristofer Rodgers Richard Schaps Hillary Thomas Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt Alan Washington Trustees Emeriti Mark H. Johnston Laura B. Sillerman