What Humanities Preparatory Academy does

Humanities Preparatory Academy is a Title I public high school operated by the New York City Department of Education, located at 351 W 18th St in the Bayard Rustin Educational Campus in Chelsea, Manhattan. Founded in 1996, it serves grades 9-12 and is one of the first small progressive public schools in Manhattan. The school enrolls students through two channels: incoming 9th graders apply via the NYC MySchools platform, while transfer students in grades 10-12 are recruited through direct outreach, transcript review, and inquiry forms. The school employs both a hybrid enrollment model and a differentiated pedagogical stack, including a restorative justice discipline model (pioneered by Humanities Prep in NYC in 1996 and used to train all other NYC schools practicing restorative justice) and Performance-Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) approved under the NY State Performance Standards Consortium waiver as Regents substitutes.

The school's core academic product is a liberal arts curriculum spanning STEM, humanities, world languages, visual arts, and physical education, supplemented by PSAL athletics, college and career counseling, and student media. Underlying technology is a conventional edtech stack: Edlio (website/parent portal), Schoology (LMS), Zoom (virtual events), Canva (newspaper), Google Workspace (PTA), and PayPal (donations). There is no proprietary technology, AI capability, or API documented. The school maintains a dense partnership ecosystem with cultural and academic institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, Rockefeller University, Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, Princeton, Google employee mentors, 92Y/National Book Foundation, CUNY, and SUNY.

Humanities Preparatory Academy is a government entity that does not charge tuition and generates no commercial revenue. All funding is allocated through the NYC DOE public tax-dollar system and disclosed Title I designation, supplemented by voluntary donations processed via PayPal. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Leadership consists of Principal Georgieann Ramsudh and Assistant Principal Valerie Mantz, with a staff directory of 29 individuals. The school is recognized for its progressive model (NY Post "Hidden Gems" 2017; The Atlantic, Bloomberg News, Princeton, Columbia features) and has inspired the creation of Harvest Collegiate and The James Baldwin School by former teachers.

Name

Humanities Preparatory Academy

Legal name

Humanities Preparatory Academy

Website

https://humanitiesprep.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Humanities Preparatory Academy is a Title I NYC public high school founded in 1996 in Chelsea, Manhattan, serving grades 9-12 through a progressive liberal arts curriculum, restorative justice discipline model, and PBAT-based assessment under a NY State Performance Standards Consortium waiver.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public School Funding (NYC DOE): Humanities Preparatory Academy is a NYC Department of Education public school, funded through public tax dollars and DOE allocations. The school is designated as a Title I school. Revenue is not generated from tuition or direct fees. The school accepts voluntary donations through its website and PTA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Humanities Preparatory Academy is a tuition-free public high school within the NYC Department of Education that delivers grades 9-12 liberal arts education through a progressive, democratic community model. Its core academic offering centers on a comprehensive curriculum across STEM, humanities, English, world languages (French and Arabic), visual arts, and physical education, supplemented by Performance-Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) that substitute for NY State Regents exams under a Consortium waiver, plus college and career counseling, athletics through PSAL, arts programs, and family support services.

Product overview

Humanities Preparatory Academy offers a unified educational program centered on its progressive liberal arts curriculum and Performance-Based Assessment Tasks (PBAT) model. The school provides comprehensive academic programs across STEM, humanities, arts, and world languages, complemented by college and career readiness services, athletics through PSAL, and student media opportunities. The institution operates as a Title I school within the Bayard Rustin Educational Campus, integrating family support services through its PTA and maintaining partnerships with external platforms including Schoology for learning management, Zoom for virtual events, and Edlio for website operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Academic Curriculum Comprehensive liberal arts and STEM curriculum for grades 9-12 covering humanities, English, math, science, social studies, world languages (French and Arabic), visual arts, and physical education, emphasizing personalization, collaboration, revision, critique, and student voice.
• Performance-Based Assessment Tasks (PBAT) Alternative assessment model in which students design original research projects with writing components in all academic subject areas (including Math PBAT on data analytics/social justice, Physics PBAT on climate systems, and English PBAT) evaluated by expert panels as a substitute for High Stakes NYS Regents Examinations.
• College and Career Readiness Program Comprehensive college counseling including CUNY and SUNY application support, Common Application assistance, FAFSA guidance, scholarship information, college visits, financial aid workshops, individual student appointments, and group college nights for students and families.
• Athletics and PSAL Programs

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• StreetLabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStreetLab collaborated with Humanities Prep for the Sustainability Block Party event on May 20th, an initiative focused on environmental sustainability and community engagement. The event featured hands-on games and activities encouraging students to think critically about environmental stewardship.
• Google Mentors (Kevin Lerman and Alex O'Neill)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle employees served as volunteer mentors for the Prep Robotics club, providing STEM guidance and mentorship to students. Mentors were located 'round the corner at Google' and assisted student robotics team members including Kyara Valdez (captain), Alexandria Alvarado (driver), Sophie Ahn (driver), Francisco Cruz (scout), Benjamin Boateng, Isaac Okura (programmer), and Tim Tschurjumov (Physics Teacher).
• Rockefeller University / Rock EDU Science Outreach ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pharmacology class participated in the Rock EDU Science Outreach Program at Rockefeller University. Under the guidance of professional scientists, students used polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and gel electrophoresis to examine their own DNA and discussed ethical ramifications of studying human DNA and informed consent in research.
• 92Y / The National Book FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanities Prep students attended the Teen Press Conference at 92Y, organized by The National Book Foundation. Students met finalists of the Young Adult Fiction category for the National Book Awards, heard finalists read from their novels, participated in Q&A sessions, and had books personalized by authors.
• American Museum of Natural History (Saltz Internship Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanities Prep students (Andy A, Class of 2020, and Paris Glass, Class of 2022) participated in the Saltz Internship Program at the American Museum of Natural History. This intensive program provides work experience, scientific content exploration, skills development, and opportunities to impact thousands of Museum visitors.
• CUNY (City University of New York)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUNY representatives conducted Senior Financial Aid Nights at the school, presenting information on financial options for students, filling out FAFSA, and other financial aid topics. Parents and students are encouraged to attend together to understand and complete financial aid options.
• SUNY (State University of New York)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSUNY conducted virtual information sessions for high school juniors, including Financial Aid sessions and EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) information. SUNY representatives also visited the school for in-person sessions. School calendar references SUNY Fair attendance.
• The Lineage ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lineage Project partnered with Humanities Prep's Yoga & Mindfulness program, teaching various asanas designed to build strength, flexibility, and overall health. Students also learn meditative techniques to reduce stress, increase concentration, and manage difficult emotions.
• Various Authors (Jacqueline Woodson, Ashley Woodfolk, Jason Reynolds, Sarah Moon, Keely Hutton, David Barclay Moore, Elizabeth Acevedo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school hosts author visits through its Author Series program, organized by teacher Leslie Martinez. Visiting authors include National Book Award winner Elizabeth Acevedo (The Poet X), Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds, Sarah Moon, Keely Hutton, David Barclay Moore, and Ashley Woodfolk. Students read books and engage in discussions with authors about craft and writing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quest to Learn: NYC public school using game-based and design-based learning with strong STEM integration. Comparable as an innovative NYC public school using alternative pedagogical models; partial overlap in mission and target families.
• Beacon High School: NYC progressive public high school emphasizing student-centered, project-based learning with strong college counseling. Comparable size, mission, and competition for progressive-education-seeking families in Manhattan.
• Bard High School Early College: NYC public high school with an early-college model offering college-credit coursework. Comparable as a small, selective, progressive public high school competing for the same family demographic in NYC, though with a different structural model (college-credit vs. PBAT).
• Harvest Collegiate High School: NYC public high school founded by former Humanities Prep teachers, sharing the progressive, restorative, project-based educational philosophy. Directly comparable mission, assessment model, and student demographic focus.
• Essex Street Academy: NYC small progressive public high school (grades 9-12) emphasizing student voice, humanities, and project-based assessment. Operates with a similar small-school, personalized-learning model as Humanities Prep.
• NYC iSchool: NYC public high school emphasizing personalization, technology integration, and project-based learning. Comparable as a small progressive Manhattan public school using alternative pedagogy and competing for similar students.
• Frank McCourt High School: NYC public high school focused on writing, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary project-based learning. Directly comparable as a small progressive public school with writing-intensive curriculum and project-based assessment.
• The James Baldwin School: NYC small progressive public high school also founded by Humanities Prep alumni/educators. Operates within the same educational philosophy of student voice, democratic community, and alternative assessment; shares Bayard Rustin Educational Campus context.
• Brooklyn Collaborative Studies: NYC small progressive public high school focused on collaborative, project-based learning with strong community partnerships. Comparable philosophy, assessment approach, and student demographic to Humanities Prep.

Emerging players

• Academy for Software Engineering: NYC public high school focused on software engineering and STEM pathways, with industry partnerships (Google-style). Comparable as an NYC public school with strong STEM emphasis and tech industry ties; partial overlap in mission (STEM focus vs Humanities Prep's broader liberal-arts STEM).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Humanities_Prep
• Facebookfacebook.com/HumanitiesPrep
• Instagraminstagram.com/humaitiesprep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/humanities-preparatory-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Humanities Preparatory Academy