Harlem, USA — Sean “Diddy” Combs will be adding Charter School founder to his long list of accolades and achievements. The Harlem born, Mount Vernon raised music mogul will open a charter school in Harlem next fall.
The hardest working man in Hip-Hop, worked tirelessly for five years to make Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School, a free public school for students in grades 6-12, a reality. Admission is open to all New York state residents, and applications are open until April 1, after which 170 sixth and seventh graders will be accepted in its first year. Enrollment will expand until the school reaches 700 students. Iyanla Vanzant, host of OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life, is among its board members.
In a press release, Combs called the project a “dream come true,” adding, “I want to impact the lives of young people in my community, and build future leaders. The first step is offering access to a quality education. Every young person should have the tools they need to succeed. All our children should be able to pursue their dreams. That is something I can impact with this school.”
Danita Jones, an esteemed educator from Orlando, will serve as Principal of Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School, which will be located at 1 East 104th Street, New York, NY.
Also joining Combs’ milestone venture will be educator and founder of Capital Preparatory Schools, Dr. Steve Perry, who will oversee the school. Educator, best-selling author and motivational speaker Dr. Steve Perry is the founder and principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut. Capital Prep has sent 100 percent of its predominantly low-income, minority, first generation high school graduates to four-year colleges every year since its first class graduated in 2006.
“I’m inspired by Sean Combs’ belief that educating our young people is the key to opening up a world of opportunity for them,” Dr. Perry said in the release. “Sean and I have spent many long hours over the last five years talking about education and how best to meet the needs of the young people of Harlem, and I couldn’t be more pleased to continue this journey through the opening of the school.”
The new Harlem school is committed to enlisting some of the most committed teachers, and is currently seeking talented educators from across the country to re-locate to Harlem.
Diddy, a graduate of Mount Saint Michael Academy located on the Mount Vernon-Bronx borderline is doing this in an effort to expand educational opportunities for young men and women in Harlem and build leaders from the community.
Those who are interested in applying as either a student or staff should go to www.capitalprepharlem.org.
