Our Program
Learning should never be stagnant.
Middle school is a crucial stage in a child’s academic and social development, instilling habits for success in the future and an abiding love of learning. Brooklyn Independent’s progressive education model moves beyond high academic rigor with experiential, project based study, which sharpens each student’s skills while engaging their curiosity, creativity and humanity.
We believe our role as educators is to help each student realize their full potential, expanding their mind, opening their heart, and finding their voice.
Our Values
Mind
Joyful learning experiences that prioritize exploration, creativity and teamwork.
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Humanities instruction with a focus on Socratic Seminar and end-of-unit collaborative projects
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Exploratory Math culminating in Algebra by 8th grade
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Science Lab focusing on independent research and inquiry
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Language offerings: Spanish, Latin, and French
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Voxel Academy Residency: Coding, 3D printing, and engineering
Heart
Moving beyond rigor includes field learning, extensive elective offerings and meaningful life skills.
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20 elective offerings including: Rock Band, Theater, Photography, Step, Graphic Design, Coding, Art, Creative Writing, Musical Performance, Chorus
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Monthly off campus Friday Field Learning experiences visiting NYC cultural and historical centers
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Afterschool programming including: STEM Lab, Athletics, Robotics, Ceramics
Voice
Understanding the interconnectedness of what happens inside and outside the school and fostering conversation on issues of inequity and social justice
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Partnership with Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility and weekly advisory restorative justice circles
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Weekly Community Meeting block focused on identity, diversity, justice, and action
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Student Government
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Community service opportunities
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Student-led advocacy and interest-based clubs
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Why use a sliding-scale tuition model?Traditional private schools use scholarships programs to attempt to diversify their community. Brooklyn Independent fundamentally believes that scholarship language inherently creates an unequal environment. We believe all families deserve the right to full participation in our community and as such, we use a sliding-scale tuition model to provide equal access for all families across all income levels.
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What does a sliding-scale tuition model mean?Families pay tuition based on their financial resources. All families submit a confidential financial worksheet as part of their application which is used to determine each family's tuition level. Determination of each family's tuition contribution is not solely based on income.
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Where is Brooklyn Independent Middle School located?We are located on floors 3 - 5 at 38 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene. Our location is located within a 5 minute walk from Atlantic Terminal's 2/3/4/5/B/D/N/Q/R, the G train at Fulton, and the C train at Lafayette.
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What does the application process consist of?Please visit our "Apply Now" section for more information.
Program Overview
Schedule Snapshot
