Since 2004, eight of New York City’s leading cultural institutions — including museums, zoos, and botanical gardens — have worked with the New York City Department of Education to support cutting edge science instruction in the city’s middle schools. This program is called Urban Advantage (UA) and includes the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the New York Botanical Garden, the New York Hall of Science, the Queens Botanical Garden, the Staten Island Zoo, the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium, and the New York City Department of Education, with leadership funding from the New York City Council. Learn more about the Urban New York Science Initiative.

• Urban Advantage Institutions

New Victory’s expansive school programs cultivate an enduring love of the performing arts, expand perspectives, inspire creative thinking and nurture hope in young people. 

New Victory School Engagement brings innovative, joyful, and thought-provoking performing arts to students and educators in over 140 schools every year. New Victory aims to build long-lasting relationships with school communities through free and low-cost performances, workshops, teacher professional development and resources. 

Brain Power Wellness teaches physical and mental brain breaks, mindfulness practices, and social emotional wellness strategies that support a positive classroom atmosphere. We partner with Teachers, Students, Parents, and Administrators to create a sustainable, healthy, happy and focused school environment.

The NBA Math Hoops community experience features a fast-paced basketball board game, curriculum, and event series for students in grades 3-8. The program is run by Learn Fresh, in partnership with NBA Cares.

Participants learn fundamental math skills through direct engagement with their favorite NBA and WNBA players’ statistics, competing in an in-class basketball league against their peers.

Through NBA Math Breaks presented by AT&T, students’ learning can continue outside of the classroom as well. Each week, NBA and WNBA players walk students through basic math skills, which are embedded within and work beyond the core Math Hoops curriculum.

The Francis Martin branch of The New York Public Library is named for the distinguished Bronx judge (1879–1947), who served as the first district attorney of Bronx County. It houses adult, young adult, and reference collections as well as a children's section on the sunny second floor.

What is RULER?

RULER is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER supports entire school communities in:

• Understanding the value of emotions
• Building the skills of emotional intelligence
• Creating and maintaining positive school climates

Learn more about our approach