Harlem Link Charter School

What Harlem Link Charter School does

Harlem Link Charter School is a Pre-K to 5th grade public charter school located at 21 West 111th Street in Harlem, New York City, operating within the NYC Community School District 3 catchment area. Founded in 2005 as a New York State-chartered non-profit, the school delivers tuition-free education to roughly 350–400 students from Harlem families, including multilingual learners, students with special education needs, and those requiring academic intervention. Its core products are the integrated Pre-K to 5 academic program, the tuition-free After All afterschool enrichment program (delivered both on-site and through partner sites such as Children's Aid Society, SCAN-Harbor, and the Boys Club of New York), the Start to Finish (S2F) cradle-to-commencement program providing early-learning support for ages 0–3, middle-school admission preparation, and ongoing alumni engagement, and a Virtual School platform built on Google Sites that enabled remote learning during COVID-19.

The school's technology stack is built entirely on commodity SaaS and productivity tools: Google Workspace for Education, Google Sites for the virtual school, SchoolMint for enrollment and lottery management, Zoom for board/family meetings, Network for Good for donation processing, and French Toast for school-uniform distribution. The school's primary revenue source is per-pupil funding allocated by New York State and the NYC Department of Education, which is supplemented by private donations and grants supporting programs like Start to Finish and After All. As a publicly funded but privately operated 501(c)(3) governed by a Board of Trustees, Harlem Link has produced 770+ alumni across 15 graduating classes (HL10–HL24), with alumni having attended 159 middle schools, 218+ high schools, and 103 colleges across 4 countries, 20 states, and all five boroughs.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: rolling admissions with a lottery system, priority for District 3 residents and siblings, applications accepted year-round via SchoolMint (and paper applications in English and Spanish), and in-person or virtual tours on demand. Marketing channels include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email newsletters, community events, alumni word-of-mouth, and partnerships with organizations such as Salesforce, New York Road Runners, Timberland, GrowNYC, Google HQ, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Operating outcomes include distribution of 330+ loaner Chromebooks during COVID-19, two school gardens with outdoor classroom space shared with co-located P226 via the Grow-to-Learn curriculum, and ongoing advocacy through the New York State Network for Youth Success to expand afterschool funding.

Name

Harlem Link Charter School

Legal name

Harlem Link Charter School

Website

https://harlemlink.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Harlem Link Charter School is a New York State-chartered, tuition-free Pre-K to 5th grade public charter school in Harlem, NYC, serving District 3 families and funded primarily by per-pupil public allocations and private donations. It operates the After All afterschool program and the Start to Finish cradle-to-college support pipeline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education (Primary/Elementary Education)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Elementary education
• Afterschool programs
• Early childhood education
• Public charter schools

Headquarters

HQ city

New York, NY

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a public charter school, primary revenue comes from per-pupil funding allocated by New York State and the NYC Department of Education based on enrollment.
2. Private Donations and Grants: External contributions from individuals and foundations support programs like Start to Finish and After All. Alumni are asked to give back $1 for every year since graduation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harlem Link Charter School is a tuition-free public charter school serving Pre-K through 5th grade students in Harlem, New York, delivering a well-rounded, student-centered curriculum in a safe, nurturing environment. Core offerings are augmented by the After All tuition-free afterschool enrichment program, the Start to Finish cradle-to-commencement program supporting early learners and alumni, and a Virtual School platform for remote learning.

Product overview

Harlem Link Charter School operates as a Pre-K to 5th grade public charter school offering a unified educational program with integrated support services. The core academic program is complemented by several named programs: the After All afterschool enrichment program providing daily activities and summer camp; the Start to Finish (S2F) cradle-to-commencement program offering early learning support, middle school admission assistance, and alumni engagement; and a Virtual School platform for remote learning. These programs work together to provide comprehensive educational, social-emotional, and college-access support from early childhood through graduation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• After All: Afterschool program encompassing on-site and partner-site after school programs for the Harlem Link Community, providing tuition-free programming that fosters learning, ignites exploration, and activates citizenship.
• Start to Finish (S2F)

Products and services

• Pre-K to 5th Grade Charter School Education Tuition-free public charter school education for Pre-K through 5th grade students in Harlem, New York, with rolling admissions and a lottery system. The core program offers a well-rounded, student-centered curriculum with social-emotional learning, specials (arts, garden, etc.), and inclusive supports for multilingual learners and students with special education needs.
• After All Afterschool Program A tuition-free afterschool program for Harlem Link students that runs three hours daily Monday through Friday during the academic year. Includes enrichment activities (dance, culinary arts, music, visual arts, gardening, sports), homework help, and snack, plus school break camps and a summer camp. On-site and partner-site programming with free supervised pickup from Harlem Link.
• Start to Finish Program (S2F) A comprehensive cradle-to-commencement program supporting Harlem Link families and students. Includes Harlem Basics early learning resources for families with 0-3 year olds, middle school admission preparation for 4th and 5th graders, and ongoing alumni network engagement, scholarships, and networking opportunities through college graduation.
• Virtual School Platform A remote learning platform built on Google Sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling Harlem Link students to attend school virtually, collaborate with classmates, and interact with teachers while remaining at home. Supported by 330+ loaner Chromebooks distributed to students in need.

Quantifiable outcome

• 770+ alumni graduated from 15 classes, attending 159 middle schools, 218+ high schools, and 103 colleges across 4 countries and 20 states

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Aid SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter All Afterschool Network partner providing programming at Dunlevy Milbank Center. Offers supervised pickup from Harlem Link to their site free of charge.
• SCAN-HarborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter All Afterschool Network partner serving students at King Towers and Beacon 185. Provides supervised pickup from Harlem Link to their sites free of charge.
• The Boys Club of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter All Afterschool Network partner providing after school programming for Harlem Link students.
• New York State Network for Youth SuccessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for lobbying local and state legislators to expand support for afterschool programs and advocate for continued COVID-19 afterschool relief funding.
• P226minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located NYC DOE school with whom Harlem Link shares school gardens and outdoor classroom space.
• Grow-to-LearnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum provider for the school gardens program, teaching students about plant life cycle, edible gardens, and local ecosystems.
• SalesforceminorOthersCorporate volunteer partner that has supported sneaker donations and field day activities.
• New York Road RunnersminorOthersCommunity partner that has supported sneaker donations and field day events.
• TimberlandminorOthersCorporate volunteer partner that has supported garden and playground renovations.
• GrowNYCminorOthersCommunity organization volunteer partner that has supported garden and playground renovations.
• DeedminorOthersCorporate volunteer partner that has supported garden and playground renovations.
• Google HQminorOthersField trip destination for hands-on learning experiences.
• MET MuseumminorOthersCultural institution partner for summer camp field trips and hands-on art education.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Success Academy Charter Schools: NYC-based public charter school network operating multiple campuses across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Direct peer in serving Harlem families with a K-12 mission, though at significantly larger scale.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: NYC-based charter network operating multiple schools in Harlem and other boroughs. Direct peer as a public charter serving similar demographics with a college-preparatory academic model.
• New York City Charter School of the Arts: Single-site NYC charter school in the Bronx with a strong arts-integration focus. Comparable as a tuition-free single-site NYC charter serving K-5/8 students with enrichment programming.
• KIPP NYC: Non-profit charter network serving predominantly low-income communities of color across NYC, with multiple campuses in Harlem and the Bronx. Comparable in serving NYC Community School District families with a college-prep charter model.
• Uncommon Schools: Non-profit charter management organization operating K-12 schools across NYC including Harlem and Brooklyn. Highly comparable as a tuition-free public charter network serving similar student demographics with a college-prep mission.
• Harlem Children's Zone: Harlem-based non-profit providing cradle-to-college services including charter schools (Promise Academy), early childhood programs, and community support. Highly comparable given Harlem Link's similar cradle-to-college Start to Finish model.
• Public Prep: NYC-based non-profit charter management organization operating single-sex public charter schools in the Bronx and Lower East Side. Comparable as a small NYC charter network serving similar demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Achievement First: Larger charter management organization operating K-12 schools across NYC, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Comparable college-prep public charter model though operating at significantly greater geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/harlemlink
• Facebookfacebook.com/harlemlink
• Instagraminstagram.com/harlemlinkcs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harlem-link-charter-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Harlem Link Charter School