Urban Dove

What Urban Dove does

Urban Dove is a New York City-based non-profit organization founded in 1998 by Jai Nanda that operates the UD Team network of public charter high schools serving over-age and under-credited students — typically aged 16-21 who have fallen behind on credits and are at risk of dropping out. The organization began as an after-school youth development program using sports as a vehicle for life-skill instruction and pivoted into school operations in 2012 with the launch of UD Team Charter School in Brooklyn. It now operates five schools across New York City — Brooklyn South, the South Bronx, Astoria (Queens), East Harlem (Manhattan), and Brooklyn North — with a sixth location, UD Team Memphis, announced as opening soon. Students attend tuition-free and are admitted via rolling applications with a lottery when capacity is exceeded.

The core technology is the proprietary Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD) curriculum, which integrates 2.5 hours of daily sports activity on single-gender teams led by dedicated coaches who serve as both athletic coaches and academic mentors. Academic instruction is delivered through a task-based, individualized model with two teachers per classroom supporting both general-education and special-education students. Supporting program modules include the College All Stars college-readiness class, the HiRisers paid youth-staff internship, the Bridges Mentors mentoring program, and a Restorative Practice behavior framework replacing punitive suspensions.

Revenue is generated as a free public charter school: per-pupil government funding flows through the NYC Department of Education under NYSED charter authorization, supplemented by grants and charitable donations. Distribution is direct-to-student with no intermediaries; the Central Office (CMO) in Long Island City provides back-office, hiring, professional development, data analysis, public relations, and advocacy functions across the school network.

Name

Urban Dove

Legal name

Urban Dove

Website

https://urbandove.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Urban Dove is a New York City non-profit operating the UD Team network of free public charter high schools serving over-age, under-credited students, combining a proprietary Sports-Based Youth Development curriculum with task-based, individualized academic instruction to drive graduation, college, and career outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Youth development programs
• Alternative high school
• College readiness services
• Sports-based education

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Island City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charter School Funding: As a charter school network, Urban Dove operates as a free public school funded through a combination of per-pupil government funding, grants, and charitable donations. Students attend at no cost.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Urban Dove operates a network of public charter high schools (UD Team) that serve over-age/under-credited students through a Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD) curriculum combined with task-based individualized academic instruction. Students participate in 2.5 hours of daily sports on single-gender teams with dedicated coaches, alongside academic, college readiness, mentoring, and paid internship programs. The organization also runs after-school and youth development programming.

Product overview

Urban Dove operates a network of UD Team Charter Schools - public charter high schools specifically designed to serve over-age, under-credited students. The schools use an innovative model centered around Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD), where students participate in 2.5 hours of daily sports activities on single-gender teams with dedicated coaches. Academic instruction uses a task-based, individualized approach. The network includes five schools across New York City (Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn North) and one in Memphis. Supporting programs include College All Stars for college readiness, HiRisers paid internship program, Restorative Practice behavioral support, and Bridges Mentors mentoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD): A curriculum model that promotes health and wellness, improves engagement and attendance, supports social and emotional development, fosters investment in academics, and builds positive school culture.
• College All Stars (CAS)
• HiRisers
• Bridges Mentors

Products and services

• UD Team Charter Schools A network of free public charter high schools serving over-age/under-credited students (aged 16-21 with fewer than 8 credits), using a Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD) model combined with task-based individualized academics, restorative practice, mentoring, and college/career readiness programming. Schools located in Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn North (NYC) and Memphis.
• Sports-Based Youth Development (SBYD)

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of young people helped learn critical life skills and grow into successful, independent adults since 1998

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NYC Department of EducationcoreOthersCharter school authorization and oversight relationship. UD Team operates as a charter school within the NYC public school system, subject to NYSED regulations and NYC DOE oversight.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KIPP NYC: KIPP NYC is a network of public charter schools serving predominantly low-income students in NYC. Like Urban Dove, it operates a multi-school charter model with a focus on college preparation, making it a direct comparator in the NYC charter market, though KIPP serves a broader K-12 age range.
• Ascend Public Charter Schools: Ascend is a charter management organization operating schools in Brooklyn and other NYC boroughs focused on college preparation for low-income students. It is directly comparable to Urban Dove as a Brooklyn-based charter network serving similar urban student demographics.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Green Dot is a charter management organization operating high schools focused on college readiness and student engagement. It is comparable to Urban Dove in its focus on high school students, alternative education models, and multi-state charter network operations.
• Uncommon Schools: Uncommon Schools operates a network of high-performing public charter schools across NYC, Newark, Boston, Camden, Rochester, and Troy. Its multi-city, college-prep charter model and non-profit structure make it a strong peer for Urban Dove's growth and replication strategy.
• Achievement First: Achievement First runs a network of charter schools across Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island serving predominantly low-income students. It shares Urban Dove's non-profit charter management structure and college-prep mission.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Success Academy is one of the largest NYC charter networks, operating dozens of schools across all five boroughs. It shares Urban Dove's multi-school charter model and NYC concentration, though it serves a broader K-12 academic range rather than specifically over-age/under-credited students.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: Democracy Prep operates a network of charter schools in NYC, Camden, and other cities with a college-prep mission. It is comparable to Urban Dove as a multi-site charter network serving similar urban student populations.

Emerging players

• Harlem Children's Zone: Harlem Children's Zone is a non-profit that combines charter schools with a broader pipeline of cradle-to-career social services for Harlem youth. It shares Urban Dove's youth development philosophy and NYC charter school footprint, but operates a wider service portfolio beyond schools.

Others

• New York Edge: New York Edge (formerly Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation) is a NYC non-profit providing after-school and summer programming that combines academics, sports, and the arts. It is comparable to Urban Dove's original 1998 after-school program model, though it has not pivoted into operating charter schools.
• Boys & Girls Club of America: Boys & Girls Clubs provide sports-based youth development programming across the U.S., aligning with Urban Dove's SBYD heritage before its charter school pivot. It is comparable as a youth development organization using athletics as an engagement mechanism, though it operates as an after-school program rather than a school.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/urbandoveny
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCALpRTo6WG3S4_vsSEnGx7A/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/urbandoveny
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urbandoveny
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbandoveny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Dove