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| UA Bronx Academy of Letters |  |
2008-09 Partner Site Profile
Number of Pairs: 128
Length of Matches: 3 years (11th, 12th, 1st year of college) |
iMentor Partner Since: 2007
Location: South Bronx
iMentor Program Coordinator: Jonathan Vallejo and Amy Cruz
Bronx Academy of Letters Teacher: 11th Grade: Ms. Desiree Battaglia; 12th Grade College Counselors: Ms. Kate Carberry and Ms. Shannon A’lyce Jones
Bronx Academy of Letters Support: Victoria Crispin, Student Activities Coordinator and Partnership Manager
About the iMentor Partnership
The Bronx Academy of Letters, an Urban Assembly school, is centered on the belief that the written word is the fundamental building block for success, not only in academic study but also in the realm of the imagination and in the world of work. To create a culture of literacy in their school, BAL integrates the written word into all areas of an enhanced and challenging curriculum by using literary texts in every discipline. Students also take a four-year series of writing classes in which they learn the crafts of fiction and memoir, nonfiction and journalism, poetry and lyrics, and play- and screenwriting.
iMentor is thrilled with our continued partnership with Urban Assembly’s Bronx Academy of Letters, and have matched the entire 11th and 12th grades with mentors. UA and iMentor are teaming together to address a common concern with the growing number of high school graduates who are accepted into college, but who do not complete--and in some cases do not start--their college degree. Mentors in this revolutionary program will provide support mentees for three full years, including the first year of college, in order to help to lower that attrition rate. This is a unique opportunity to mentor a student through their last two years of high school and in their critical first year of college using the iMentor Core Curriculum.
Current seniors (class of 2009) are entering into their second year of a three year relationship with their mentors. The iMentor sessions take place once a week during their College Readiness class where the students are currently working on iMentor’s 12th Grade Curriculum Plan, a college portfolio “package” where writing prompts and events help support successful completion of the college application process.
Current juniors (class of 2010), have begun the first year of a three year iMentor match. Students compose emails weekly in their writing class, an ideal situation where mentees not only get an opportunity to develop their relationships but also practice their composition skills at the same time! Mentors help their mentees formulate concepts and ideas which result in beautifully written messages.
UA BAL is the first of several Urban Assembly high schools that iMentor has partnered with since 2007. To learn more about Urban Assembly, a non-profit organization that creates and manages a community of New York City Public Schools dedicated to preparing students from under-resourced neighborhoods for success in four-year colleges, please visit: http://www.urbanassembly.org/
The iMentor program at Bronx Academy of Letters is supported by a generous grant from the Robin Hood Foundation, an innovative and influential philanthropic foundation targeting poverty in New York City. To learn more about the Robin Hood Foundation, please see: http://www.robinhood.org/
Travel Directions
Address: The Bronx Academy of Letters at the Paul Robeson Complex From 6 train to 3rd Avenue/138th Street: Come up on the SE corner of 138th Street and 3rd Avenue. Cross 3rd Avenue, then cross 138th and continue walking north. 3rd and Morris Avenues split off at this point. Walking on Morris, pass a long green factory, then the Western Beef supermarket. The school is the white building on the corner of East 140th Street and Morris Avenue. |
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From 4/5 train to 138th/Grand Concourse: Come up on the NE corner of 138th Street and Grand Concourse. Walk three blocks east on 138th, then turn left at 3rd Avenue. 3rd and Morris Avenues split off at this point. Walking on Morris, pass a long green factory, then the Western Beef supermarket. The school is the white building on the corner of East 140th Street and Morris Avenue. From 2 train to 149th/Grand Concourse: Take train to 149th Street/Grand Concourse. Walk east on 149th Street to Morris Avenue. Turn right on Morris and walk nine blocks south. Driving from points north: Take I-95 south to I-278/Bruckner Expressway West, toward the Triboro Bridge. At Exit 47, merge onto I-87/Major Deegan Expressway North toward Third Avenue Bridge/Albany. Take Exit 2 toward Willis Avenue/Third Avenue Bridge. Stay straight to go onto East 135th Street. Turn right onto Lincoln Avenue. Lincoln Avenue becomes Morris Avenue at East 138th Street. Pass a long green factory, then the Western Beef supermarket. The school is the white building on the corner of East 140th Street and Morris Avenue. Driving from points south: Take the FDR Drive north to Exit 18, Willis Avenue Bridge. Go over the bridge, then turn left onto East 135th Street. Turn right onto Lincoln Avenue. Lincoln Avenue becomes Morris Avenue at East 138th Street. Pass a long green factory, then the Western Beef supermarket. The school is the white building on the corner of East 140th Street and Morris Avenue. |
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For subway, bus, and car directions, click HERE |
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About Bronx Academy of Letters
Mission: When the Bronx Academy of Letters opened its doors as a high school in September 2003, our founders--a dedicated team of students, parents, teachers, and community leaders--were united by a single idea: students who can express themselves clearly in writing can do better in any path they choose in life. |
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Today, our rigorous, college-preparatory academic program spans grades six through twelve. Our core curriculum is standards-based, with an intense focus on developing literacy and problem-solving across the disciplines. It includes honors and AP courses, master-level arts electives, externships, and independent study courses. In the study of language, specifically, we offer a separate four-year series of writing classes in addition to a four-year series of literature classes. |
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Learn More:
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Bronx Academy of Letters Fun Facts
- The 2008-09 senior class will be the third graduating class (2009) and the first group of iMentor students to be actively matched through their first year of college!
- Students at BAL are required to submit at least one publication to their student-run newspaper, The Raven, and their literary magazine, One Pen during the academic year.
- Earlier and current collaborations and partnerships include publishing houses (Random House, Scribner’s, Penguin), publications (The New Yorker), arts and performance groups (Urban Word, Bowery Poetry Club), colleges (Fordham), and graduate writing programs (Columbia, Sarah Lawrence).
- All students are offered the opportunity and financial support to travel overseas at least once during their high school experience. Current students have had the opportunity to visit countries including England, Japan, Thailand, Costa Rica, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Mexico.
View a complete listing of all
iMentor's 2008-09 Partner Sites
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