Brooklyn Free School

03/17/2024

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is an independent school with sliding-scale… Courtney McClellan needs your support for Brooklyn Free School (2023-2024 School Year)

03/13/2024

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is an independent school with sliding-scale tuition and a mission of education for social justice. Governed by democratic decision-making, BFS invites young people, aged 4 to 18, to partner in the creation of an exceptional educational experience.

We want to be transparent when we say: we need your help. We are seeking support from our wider community.

Despite our unwavering commitment and significant strides, Brooklyn Free School is now at a critical juncture. Faced with financial hurdles, including the aftermath of having to sell our building during the COVID-19 pandemic, we urgently need your support to raise $40,000.

This funding will ensure we can continue providing our unique educational experience, covering essential costs like rent, staffing, and student activities. Join us in our mission to sustain this vital space where every student thrives and learns to become an agent of change.

If you or someone you know has $10 to spare, please consider donating and asking a friend to donate as well. EVERY little bit helps. Please Share!

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is an independent school with sliding-scale… Courtney McClellan needs your support for Brooklyn Free School (2023-2024 School Year)

02/12/2024

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is an independent school with sliding-scale tuition and a mission of education for social justice. Governed by democratic decision-making, BFS invites young people, aged 4 to 18, to partner in the creation of an exceptional educational experience.

We want to be transparent when we say: we need your help. We are seeking support from our wider community.

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) has been a beacon of innovative and inclusive education for two decades. As a pioneering social justice school, Brooklyn Free School has consistently prioritized the emotional, academic, and cultural growth of its diverse student body, with a special focus on students of color, q***r, and neurodivergent individuals. Our educators, over 90% of whom are people of color, have tirelessly worked to create a learning environment that champions student voices, fosters a deep understanding of social justice, and embraces the transformative power of play and exploration.

However, despite our unwavering commitment and significant strides, Brooklyn Free School is now at a critical juncture. Faced with financial hurdles, including the aftermath of having to sell our building during the COVID-19 pandemic, we urgently need your support to raise $40,000. This funding will ensure we can continue providing our unique educational experience, covering essential costs like rent, staffing, and student activities. Join us in our mission to sustain this vital space where every student thrives and learns to become an agent of change.

If you or someone you know has $10 to spare, please consider donating and asking a friend to donate as well. EVERY little bit helps.

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is an independent school with sliding-scal… Courtney McClellan needs your support for Brooklyn Free School (2023-2024 School Year)

12/28/2023

BFS students visited The Color Factory in NYC!

12/21/2023

Today, Brooklyn Free School held its workfair, where BFS students present projects they've been working on all semester to staff and families.

11/28/2023

You can still give! Please consider making a donation to Brooklyn Free School. No amount is too small!
https://bkgives.brooklyn.org/organizations/brooklyn-free-school

As you all know, Brooklyn Free School (BFS) differs from your average school because we aim to educate for social justice. The school’s move to Bedford Stuyvesant and Restoration Plaza Corporation supports our social justice mission in beautiful ways we had not expected and are grateful for. The creation of Restoration Plaza began in the 1960s to revitalize the neighborhood's Black cultural pride and economic strength. The goal was to bring together public and private enterprises to ensure that Black people had opportunities regardless of race and racial disparities in the workforce. In the face of White flight, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza was able to reconnect the community and create a financial and cultural foundation for young and old residents.

All of this connects to what BFS has been organically experiencing as the school has grown in its diversity of students and the range of economic wealth families have as BFS has been engaging more diverse BIPOC families in terms of race/ethnicity and socio-economic background who either cannot pay full or partial tuition. This, in turn, is changing who makes up the BFS community geographically, demographically, and socio-economically. The shift in student demographics and socioeconomic diversity is a positive change for the school, as it enables BFS to better center our social justice mission by serving a broader and more representative student body, the school can work towards greater equity and inclusion in education, aligning with its commitment to social justice values.

Since the school’s inception in 2004, the asking tuition has been $30,000. During the school year of 2019-2020 (before COVID), we experienced the challenge created by not finding alternative income to support our social justice mission. The loss of students since 2019 - 2020 and 2021-2022 has been due to a general exodus from New York City due to COVID-19. Almost 100% of our families do not pay full tuition. However, we continue to attract families who do not have the ability to pay full tuition with only five families paying tuition over $15,000.

With students and staff from different socioeconomic backgrounds who bring different abilities and gifts to our community. Our students are 77% African American, Hispanic, Asian, or Multiracial. Additionally, our staff is representative of the student population and is 75% African American, Hispanic, Asian, or Multiracial.

Support for this Giving Tuesday will provide a plan for fundraising, including grant support to supplement tuition income is a proactive step in maintaining the school's accessibility and social justice mission. Grants can provide financial support to families and help cover the operational costs of the school, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder access to the school's high-quality education aligns with the school’s inclusive philosophy by creating a plan that aims for BFS to provide a supportive and nurturing environment to all students.

Please help us sustain our general operations with a donation of any size that can be made here. All donations are tax-deductible contributions.

I thank you. I wish you and yours a joyful year.

Happy holidays!

Sincerely,

Monique and the board and staff of BFS

Please share!

https://bkgives.brooklyn.org/organiz.../brooklyn-free-school

11/04/2023

11/01/2023

10/24/2023

Come to an in-person Open House & learn more about Brooklyn Free School!

Wednesday, October 25 at 11 am
Register Here: https://bit.ly/495aN3K

November 8 at 6 pm
Register Here: https://bit.ly/494d8vQ

09/21/2023

BFS Break Camp, this Monday, September 25! Please email
[email protected] to enroll!

08/29/2023

Please support BFS in our 20th year!!! No amount is too small.

Brooklyn Free School (BFS) is an independent school with sliding-scal… Courtney McClellan needs your support for Brooklyn Free School (2023-2024 School Year)