Harlem Academy

Harlem Academy is a co-educational, private, independent, and nonprofit day school registered with the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). Its mission, according to Rahim Kanani, is to offer education for children oriented to higher education. The school aims to foster levels of academic achievement and character development required to enter and thrive at top secondary schools. Located at 1330 Fifth Avenue in Harlem, it serves grades one through eight. It emphasizes academic rigor and family partnership. Admission is need-blind and tuition is determined on a sliding scale in order to make the school accessible to families of all income levels. The school is primarily funded by private donations and is an accredited member of the National Association of Independent Schools. The head of the school is Vincent "Vinny" Dotoli.

Its mission is to offer educational opportunities "for children whose aptitude for success in higher education might otherwise go unrealized." The school aims to foster levels of academic achievement and character development required to enter and thrive at top secondary schools. The school, according to its head, "modeled the atmosphere and rigor of the City's highest performing private schools."

Extended day programming offers five hours of rigorous academic instruction, enriching educational activities, and active teacher supervision for students, between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every weekday.

Family partnership requires, under the enrollment contract, each family to volunteer at the school for a minimum of four hours per parent per month. They can join steering committees to help "shape" the school. According to Dotoli in 2011, "no teacher has been hired without approval by the family hiring committee" composed of parents volunteering for the school. Parents run new-parent orientations and are encouraged to help out with fundraising events.

The Singapore Math Method is the foundation of the math curriculum at Harlem Academy, which is the first school in Manhattan to adopt the system. According to Winnie Hu, it is modeled on Singapore's internationally recognized national math curriculum and focuses on fostering deeper and more multifaceted understanding of fewer math concepts, rather than cursory coverage of a large array of topics. According to Hu, other schools to adopt Singapore Math include Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C., and Hunter College Elementary School.

Volunteers make essential contributions to school community life. Harlem Academy relies on volunteers to maintain and augment its program. Special guest volunteers have helped classes produce their own magazine, teach art history with accompanying guided visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and run an advanced math program.

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